Koen Casteels will not be able to form part of Belgium’s squad at the upcoming European Championship, which starts on 11 June 2021. The VfL Wolfsburg goalkeeper will undergo an operation following the Wolves’ last Bundesliga match of the season, against 1. FSV Mainz 05 on Saturday, and will subsequently be out of action for several weeks.
The reason for the surgery stems from Matchday 3 of the 2019/20 season, when Casteels suffered a hairline fracture in his right fibula at home to SC Paderborn. A plate was subsequently implanted to support the healing process, and that will now be removed.
“Pain-free in pre-season”
“Obviously it’s a shame that I’ll miss the European Championship, but unfortunately no other decision was possible because the plate has been causing me constant pain for almost two years now,” said Casteels. “My objective now is to return to fitness as quickly as possible after the operation so that I can be pain-free in pre-season training.”
