Zeno Debast speaks after lay-off at Sporting: Finally I can... | OneFootball

Zeno Debast, a Sporting player, is with his national team and used the minutes before another training session to give a guarantee to the Belgian press: “Finally, I can play without pain!”, he stressed, after a long spell on the sidelines.

The defender recalled the left knee injury suffered at the end of October 2025, in a Champions League match against Marseille, which kept him out of action for almost three months: “At first it was difficult, because it was the first time in my career that I had been out for so long. Fortunately, I was well supported by the Club and my family, and I came out of this stronger,” he said.

Until the injury, the centre-back had played every minute under Rudi Garcia and now hopes to get some playing time during the training camp in the United States: “I hope to get some minutes after such a long period out. This camp is crucial, the World Cup starts soon.”

Belgium are holding a one-week training camp in the United States, like Portugal, where they will face the host nation on March 28 in Atlanta and Mexico on April 1 in Chicago, in warm-up matches for the 2026 World Cup.

This season, Zeno Debast - valued at €30 million - has made 16 official appearances for Sporting. The Belgium international has so far clocked up 928 minutes of playing time, but has yet to register a goal or an assist.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.