World Cup 2018: Belgium boss Roberto Martinez vows not to play reserves in third-place playoff with England
The Red Devils boss made nine changes when they faced the Three Lions in their final Group G game a fortnight ago
ROBERTO MARTINEZ insists he will not play another Belgium ‘B’ team against England on Saturday.
The Red Devils boss made nine changes when they faced the Three Lions in their final Group G game a fortnight ago.
Belgium won 1-0 that night, as Gareth Southgate also made eight swaps with both teams having already qualified for the last 16.
But ahead of the third-place play-off match in St Petersburg, Martinez has vowed to play a strong side.
The Spaniard said: “I am not going to make changes now to give certain players opportunities because they have already received them against England.
“Any change will be to make the team stronger.
“It’s a game we need to play at a good level and we need to have fresh legs.
“But the players are still very fresh mentally.
“Even the most important players that have completed a lot of minutes, I’ve seen them fresh and looking forward to the game.”
Martinez admits Belgium have been suffering from an “emotional hangover” since their 1-0 semi-final defeat to France.
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But he is confident they will be sufficiently “motivated” to secure the country’s best ever World Cup finish - bettering their fourth-place in 1986.
Martinez said: “Once the dust settles, it’s very much an important fixture.
“You always want to push the achievements of a football nation.
“And they want to be the best Belgian team ever and are ready to perform.”
Martinez has enhanced his own reputation during Belgium’s run in Russia, which included a famous quarter-final win over Brazil.
Reflecting on the World Cup as a whole, he added: “It is one of the big moments you want to treasure.
“But I don’t think you see it as an achievement because what counts as an achievement is if you win the tournament.
“When you go into a semi-final and the belief you have in the group, it is a surprise when you are not in the final.
“The dressing room was really down at the end of the game. We believed we could win the World Cup.”
