Veteran Axel Witsel has been surprisingly recalled into the Belgian Euro 2024 squad led by Kevin de Bruyne while Thibaut Courtois is not part of the group.
Coach Domenico Tedesco named 25 players on Tuesday for the June 14-July 14 tournament in Germany where the Red Devils face Slovakia, Romania and Ukraie in the group stage.
He can nominate oe more player for his final list to be submitted by June 7.
Witsel, 35, has 130 caps but has not featured since Tedesco took the helm last year. The midfielder and defender has now been included after a strong season for Atletico Madrid.
"We were always open for taking him back. There is no doubt he is a high quality player. We need him. He can help the young players. We have a good feeling with him," Tedesco told reporters.
The other surprise was the nomination of uncapped defender Maxim De Cuyper from national champions and Conference League semi-finalists Club Brugge.
Captain De Bruyne from English champions and 2023 treble winners Manchester City leads the squad again in another bid for silverware with a younger team, after a third-place finish at the 2018 World Cup.
Courtois recently returned from a severe knee injury between the Real Madrid posts but has been at odds with Tedesco since last year.
"He was clear and honest. He is not ready for the Euro," Tedesco said.
Tedesco spoke of a good mix between younger and more experienced players and added "I have a really good feeling with the squad" as he highlighted "human quality and footballing quality."
The squad gathers on Friday and will play tune-up games against Montenegro and Luxembourg before departing for Germany on June 12.
