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Soccer-Belgium’s Castagne to undergo surgery on fractured eye socket

Euro 2020 - Group B - Belgium v Russia

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Belgium’s Timothy Castagne needs to have surgery on a double fracture of his eye socket and will play no further part in the European Championship, the Belgian football association said on Sunday.

The defender suffered the injury during a heavy mid-air collision with Daler Kuzyaev in the first half of Saturday’s 3-0 Group B win over Russia in St Petersburg and was immediately replaced.

The 25-year-old is expected to undergo the operation after the team return to Belgium on Sunday.

Castagne had been chosen as Belgium’s first choice right back ahead of Thomas Meunier, who replaced him and scored Belgium’s second goal seven minutes after coming on.

Castagne had gone into the tournament brimming with confidence after FA Cup success with Leicester City.

(Writing by Mark Gleeson in Cape Town; Editing by Pritha Sarkar)