FIFA World Cup: Blow for Belgium as Jeremy Doku ruled out of crucial Iran clash with illness

Jeremy Doku, one of the Belgium's most dangerous and electric attacking weapons, has been ruled out of Red Devils' Group H clash against Iran on Sunday at SoFi Stadium in the Los Angeles.

The Manchester City winger was officially ruled out on Saturday due to illness, leaving Belgium's coaching staff with a selection headache ahead of what is fast becoming a must-not-lose fixture.Doku had started Belgium's opening World Cup match against Egypt last Monday, playing 86 minutes of a frustrating 1-1 draw before being substituted. But the problems had been brewing even before that. The pacy winger reportedly left a training session early during the week preceding the Egypt game due to breathing difficulties, an early warning sign that went unheeded.

The illness news is not the only thing swirling around Doku this week. The 23-year-old made headlines earlier after telling reporters in a candid press conference that he was prepared to leave the squad and fly home if required for the birth of his first child. His wife is expected to give birth in early July, right in the middle of the World Cup knockout stages - meaning the off-field distraction is unlikely to disappear even when he recovers.

On the pitch, Belgium can ill afford the distraction. Ranked 10th in the world by FIFA, the Red Devils entered this tournament with genuine ambitions of going deep into the knockout rounds. A draw against Egypt in the opener has put those ambitions under early pressure. A win against Iran on Sunday is now close to non-negotiable if Belgium want to stay on course to top their group.Their final group game comes against New Zealand next Friday, before attention could potentially turn to a tantalising last-16 encounter. Should Belgium win their group and their first knockout match, they could face co-host United States on July 6 in the round of 16, provided the Americans also advance from their side of the bracket.