I will persist with de Bruyne, says Wilmots

Belgium coach Marc Wilmots refused to blame his Premier League stars for the Red Devils’ below-par display in the 2-0 defeat to Italy.

Kevin de Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku both had nights to forget at the Stade de Lyon.

The Belgium forwards were repeatedly frustrated by Italy’s outstanding back three.

“It’s very difficult to say,” said Wilmots when asked where Belgium went wrong.

“We were too compact in the first half an hour, then we conceded the (first) goal from a ball over the top, that was an individual mistake, clearly.

“de Bruyne and Lukaku didn’t have the best of nights, but I don’t want to criticise individuals.”

Manchester City’s de Bruyne was a tired presence on the right wing, but Wilmots said he will persist with him because of his past performances for Belgium.

“Is the kid tired after a long season? Probably, but I am not going to slate him, he has been a big player for us in the past and I left him on as he is often able to bang in an assist,” said Wilmots.