MOGI DAS CRUZES, June 15- Belgium’s striking crisis deepened on Saturday with teenage striker Divock Origi taken to hospital in the Sao Paulo region for scans on an ankle injury just days away from their opening World Cup finals game against Algeria.
Origi, who is of Kenyan descent, had to be helped off the training pitch at Mogi das Cruzes in Sau Paulo State after suffering the injury following a challenge from midfielder Moussa Dembele.
Belgium have already seen Aston Villa forward Christian Benteke ruled out of the tournament with a ruptured Achilles tendon.
And Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku, who had a successful loan spell at Everton last season, only returned to training on Wednesday after suffering an ankle injury in a bruising friendly with Tunisia last Saturday.
If Lille’s Origi, 19, doesn’t recover by Tuesday, then Lukaku will be their only recognised central striker available for their Group D opener against Algeria in Belo Horizonte.
There was more bad news for Belgium coach Marc Wilmots as winger Kevin de Bruyne limped off with yet another ankle problem following a challenge with Eden Hazard, although his appeared less serious.
Still the problems kept coming, though, as centre-back Thomas Vermaelen complained of a knee problem at the end of the training session.
If the worst comes to the worst, Belgium have until Monday to call up a replacement if one of their players is ruled out of the tournament through injury.
