Belgium swap keeper

BRUSSELS - Belgium have replaced their third-choice World Cup goalkeeper after a scan revealed their initial pick had not sufficiently recovered from breaking his shin in April.

Koen Casteels of German side Hoffenheim had been selected in the 23-strong party to go to Brazil, but his place will instead go to Sammy Bossut, who plays for Belgian side Zulte Waregem.

Bossut can consider himself lucky because he owes his selection not only to Casteels's injury but also to the broken arm suffered by Anderlecht's Silvio Proto, who had previously been called up as cover for Casteels.

Bossut will be on the plane to Brazil, but is unlikely to add to his single cap from a friendly against Luxembourg last week. Chelsea's Thibaut Courtois, loaned out to Spanish champions Atletico Madrid for the past three seasons, is Belgium's clear number one, with Liverpool's Simon Mignolet the number two.

Meanwhile, Romelu Lukaku's hat-trick during Belgium's 5-1 win over Luxembourg last week is to be wiped from official records after soccer's world governing body Fifa ruled that it was not an official international.

Fifa said it did not recognise the friendly as an 'A' game because Belgium made too many substitutions - seven. The ruling means that not only is Lukaku's first international hat-trick not recognised, Adnan Januzaj's apparent senior debut for Belgium is also scrubbed.

Fifa rules limit the number of substitutes allowed in a competitive match to three - and six for friendlies.

Belgium face Tunisia on June 7 in a final warm-up before open their Group H campaign against Algeria on June 17. Russia and South Korea are the other group rivals.

Belgium squad

GOALKEEPERS: Thibaut Courtois (Atletico Madrid/ESP, on loan from Chelsea/ENG), Simon Mignolet (Liverpool/ENG), Sammy Bossut (Zulte-Waregem)

DEFENDERS: Toby Alderweireld (Atletico Madrid/ESP), Anthony Vanden Borre (Anderlecht), Daniel Van Buyten (Bayern Munich/GER), Vincent Kompany (Manchester City/ENG), Jan Vertonghen (Tottenham Hotspur/ENG), Thomas Vermaelen (Arsenal/ ENG), Nicolas Lombaerts (Zenit Saint Petersburg/RUS), Laurent Ciman (Standard Liège)

MIDFIELDERS: Axel Witsel (Zenit Saint Petersburg/RUS), Marouane Fellaini (Manchester United/ENG), Steven Defour (Porto/POR), Moussa Dembélé, Nacer Chadli (both Tottenham Hotspur/ ENG), Kevin De Bruyne (Wolfsburg/ GER)

FORWARDS: Romelu Lukaku (Everton/ENG, on loan from Chelsea/ENG), Divock Origi (Lille/FRA), Eden Hazard (Chelsea/ENG), Kevin Mirallas (Everton/ENG), Dries Mertens (Napoli/ITA), Adnan Januzaj (Manchester United/ENG).