Van Bommel’s Lukaku explanation puts Jorge Jesus under pressure in Ronaldo row

Mark van Bommel has highlighted the contrast between his handling of Romelu Lukaku and Jorge Jesus’ management of Cristiano Ronaldo, after the Portugal forward left his national-team camp following a disagreement with his coach.

Ronaldo returned to Madrid on Wednesday after a dispute with Jesus over his omission from Portugal’s Nations League match against Norway in the second round of the group stage.

A similar selection issue has emerged in Belgium, although the situation involving Lukaku has been less serious. The Fenerbahce striker played only the final seven minutes of Belgium’s opening Nations League fixture against Italy before remaining on the substitutes’ bench for the entire second-round match against France.

Van Bommel addressed Lukaku’s situation at a news conference before Belgium’s meeting with Turkey on Friday, their third match in the group stage. The Belgium manager said he had spoken to the striker to explain his current position.

“Romelu can come on as a substitute or start, but it depends on what we believe we need at a particular stage or in a particular situation,” Van Bommel said, in comments reported by Belgian newspaper Nieuwsblad.

He added: “I have never promised a player that he will play. You can say the chances are high, but there are no guarantees.”

The remarks were widely shared on social media as criticism of Jesus, who had reportedly told Ronaldo he would receive playing time against Norway before changing his decision because the circumstances were not suitable.

Van Bommel also explained why he chose not to use Lukaku against France.

“He has certain qualities, but I felt that in that match we were a little too far from the goal, which meant we could have made better use of speed,” he said.

The Dutchman said he had maintained regular contact with Lukaku, including a meeting in Istanbul and conversations over FaceTime to discuss the player’s position and Belgium’s style of play.

“I do not want to say that Romelu cannot do that; on the contrary,” Van Bommel said. “The only obstacle is that he does not play much for Fenerbahce.”

Van Bommel insisted Lukaku’s omission was not a reflection of his performances in training.

“I also explained to him that I chose speed, not because he is performing badly,” he said. “He is training well, but it is not about selecting a team solely on the basis of good training sessions, or the opposite.

“It may appear to be a bigger issue from your side, the media, but there is no need to search for any hidden reasons behind it.”