Belgium manager Roberto Martinez revealed there is 'good news' for Kevin De Bruyne after he was forced off the pitch with an injury during a 1-0 win over Portugal at Euro 2020.
The Manchester City midfielder was brought down by a tackle from Sporting CP midfielder Joao Palhinha late in the first half, incurring an ankle injury as he lost his footing. The back-to-back PFA Player of Year came out for the second half, but went down again within a minute of the game restarting and was immediately substituted.
TV footage later showed the 30-year-old with an ice pack strapped to his ankle as Belgium progressed to the quarter-finals thanks to Thorgan Hazard's brilliant first-half strike.
With a quarter-final tie against Italy looming on Friday night, Martinez moved to provide an update on both De Bruyne and Eden Hazard, who also went off injured in the second half.
Addressing the media after flying out to Munich with both players, the former Everton boss said: "It's quite positive for us. Eden and Kevin have no structural damage.
“They will remain with the squad. We won't get them fully fit for Friday. In the next phase they will be fit to play. We take it day by day."
De Bruyne suffered a broken eye socket and orbital bone in the UEFA Champions League final in May, forcing him to miss the opening game of the tournament, but returned in fine form for wins over Denmark and Finland.
Belgium are the only team left in the competition to have a 100% record inside 90 minutes at Euro 2020 and are one of the favourites to lift the trophy.
