Soccer-Belgium's Doku dashes back to London for birth of son

Belgium winger Jeremy Doku returned to London to be with his newborn son, Praise, after his wife gave birth, and will rejoin the squad in Seattle on Tuesday evening.

Belgium winger Jeremy Doku made it back ​to London after flying from the ​World Cup to be ‌with his ​wife, who gave birth to a boy called Praise on Monday, the Belgian football federation said. "Jeremy received news ‌before yesterday's match that the birth was imminent," said the team doctor, Brahim Hacene, in a statement from the Belgian federation.

"As he had already been receiving appropriate medical treatment ‌for several days, he was able to fly without medical risk to ‌be with his family during this very special moment. "He was accompanied by my colleague, Dr. Brecht De Coninck. Everything went perfectly, and the mother, father, and baby are all doing wonderfully. Jeremy will ⁠rejoin ​the squad tomorrow (Tuesday) evening ⁠in Seattle," Hacene added.

Doku missed Belgium's 1-1 draw with Iran in Los Angeles on Sunday, having ⁠been ruled out on the eve of the game by coach Rudi Garcia. "He can't play, ​and so we'll be playing without him," Garcia had said at the pre-match ⁠news conference, adding that Doku was still recovering from illness. "I knew since Friday that he won't ⁠be ​playing.

"I don't want to get players to play if they're not medically up for the game. I can get players to play even if they're not ⁠100 percent physically, but 100 percent medically is more important." Belgium, who have drawn their ⁠opening two games ⁠at the World Cup against Egypt and Iran, are next up against New Zealand in Vancouver on Friday in their ‌final Group ‌G fixture. (Writing by Mark Gleeson in Atlanta; ​Editing by Christian Radnedge)