Jeremy Doku was substituted before Belgium’s late comeback as Rudi Garcia’s side beat Senegal 3-2 after extra time in the World Cup round of 32.
The Manchester City winger lasted 56 minutes before Dodi Lukebakio replaced him, with Belgium still 2-0 down after goals from Habib Diarra and Ismaïla Sarr.
Yahoo Sports, carrying GOAL’s player ratings, noted that Belgium made a double change at 2-0 down, with Nicolas Raskin and Lukebakio replacing Kevin De Bruyne and Doku. The Guardian’s match report recorded Romelu Lukaku and Youri Tielemans scoring late before Tielemans converted a stoppage-time penalty in extra time.
For Manchester City, the scoreline matters less than the workload signal. Doku left before the comeback began and now heads into another knockout assignment with Belgium still searching for a clearer attacking rhythm.
Doku Exit Gives Maresca A Manchester City Wide-Player Call
Doku’s ceiling remains obvious. He can break a defensive line on his own, isolate full-backs and change the rhythm of a match in seconds.
The warning is also clear. City cannot treat his return as plug-and-play.
Read Man City has already covered how Doku’s World Cup role and family timing give Enzo Maresca a management issue before pre-season. This Senegal match added a sharper piece of evidence.
Doku’s summer has already included illness management, tournament disruption and the wider personal timing around the expected birth of his first child. The Sun reported last week that he had been dealing with a respiratory infection during Belgium’s campaign.
That context matters for Maresca. Doku still gives City a rare one-v-one weapon, but his pre-season return will need careful handling.
Belgium’s comeback keeps his World Cup alive. It also keeps City’s winger planning on hold for a little longer.
Maresca’s first job is not to question Doku’s talent. It is to rebuild certainty around a player who still changes games, but not always on schedule.
