Don't write Belgium off quite yet! Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku rising from failed golden generation's ashes with new crop of top talents at Euro 2024

The spine of Tedesco's team actually hasn't changed all that much, barring a few notable absentees, which means there is some familiarity and consistency in the group which could well be vital in a tournament setting.

Belgium's most-capped player, 37-year-old Vertonghen, is still knocking about at the back, fellow veteran Axel Witsel has come out of retirement after just one year to take up a midfield spot alongside stalwart and captain De Bruyne, and Lukaku will continue to lead the line.

Elsewhere, the likes of Timothy Castagne, Youri Tielemans and Leandro Trossard have been in and around the squad for years and have all been plying their trade at a high level in the Premier League.

Some established names have been left out of the squad altogether, though, despite being fit, as Tedesco looks to usher in a new era. Veteran forward Mertens has been told he will no longer be considered for selection, and Michy Batshuayi - a staple of the squad for nine years - has been overlooked too, despite having a fine club season with Fenerbahce.

Even if they are unfancied, any team's chances are significantly boosted if they have a superstar in their ranks, and Belgium undoubtedly have that in the form of Manchester City dynamo De Bruyne.

After spending half the season out recovering from surgery on a hamstring injury he suffered on the opening day of the Premier League campaign, the attacking midfielder returned with the bit between his teeth. He racked up 18 assists in just 26 appearances in all competitions, as well as six goals.

The 31-year-old had not played for his country for more than a year as a result of his fitness issues before returning to the fold to receive his 100th cap in the friendly against Montenegro in early June, scoring to mark the occasion. One of the finest players on the planet, he is in exactly the kind of form Belgium would have hoped for ahead of the tournament.

Lukaku is the man who will hope to be the main beneficiary of De Bruyne's form. Although he has blown hot and cold at club level in Serie A over the last couple of seasons, he is a different beast in his international colours.

The striker was lethal in qualifying, bagging 10 goals in just seven games as Belgium went unbeaten en route to sealing their place at the tournament proper, including a hat-trick in their first game against Sweden. He heads into Euro 2024 on a run of 10 goals in his last six international appearances.

It goes without saying that having someone to put the ball into the back of the net is absolutely crucial on the tournament stage, and the Chelsea hitman - whose future is well and truly up in the air - could hardly be in better goal-scoring form for his country as they prepare to get their Euro 2024 campaign underway.

"He plays an incredibly important role both on and off the pitch," Tedesco told UEFA recently. "On the pitch, his goals speak for themselves, but there's more to him than that. He knows exactly when he should pass if he has his back to goal or if he can turn round and shoot at goal himself. He is dangerous in lots of situations, not just in set-pieces, crosses. In the last third of the pitch, he is unpredictable and difficult to defend against. I don't think many defenders would choose to defend against him.

"But his importance off the pitch is undoubted because he knows lots of players, particularly young players, whom he can look after and become a sort of mentor to. He concerns himself with many things, he looks after many things in the dressing room, which makes him extremely important."

There will be one very significant absentee, however. Despite overcoming a ruptured ACL and a subsequent knee injury to be fit in time for the tournament, world-class goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has been overlooked - but this was never a matter of simply winning a race against time.

Courtois has had a monumental, very-public falling out with Tedesco, and at 32 years old, his international future is in serious jeopardy. It all began when the shot-stopper was overlooked for the captaincy in June last year and took exception to his dirty laundry being aired publicly by the head coach. The Real Madrid star then fanned the flames in March this year - calling Tedesco a liar on social media after the manager claimed he had "tried absolutely everything" to repair the relationship.

Courtois had already ruled himself out of Euro 2024 by that point in the belief that he wouldn't be in peak physical condition, and - ignoring the elephant in the room - Tedesco confirmed in May that the goalkeeper would not be included in his plans, saying: "Thibaut Courtois has been very clear and honest. The latest information we have received is that he is not ready for the Euros."

Koen Casteels will be Belgium's No.1 in his absence, and it remains to be seen whether we will ever see Courtois play for his country again, with Tedesco extending his contract until 2026.

It's not just the experienced heads who will be shouldering the responsibility, though, with an emerging new generation possessing the ability to keep Belgium at the top of the game when De Bruyne and Lukaku are long gone.

Maxim De Cuyper (23), Zeno Debast (20), Arthur Theate (24), Arthur Vermeeren (19), Amadou Onana (22), Aster Vranckx (21), Bakayoko (21), Charles De Ketelaere (23), Lois Openda (24) and Doku (22) are all a reflection of Belgium's bright future, with their presence in the final squad a telling sign that they are going through a transition.

Vermeeren is a generational talent who has already made a big move by joining Atletico Madrid in January, while Onana and Bakayoko also seem destined for top clubs as soon as this summer. De Ketelaere has had a renaissance at Atalanta, and Openda enjoyed a prolific season in Germany with RB Leipzig.

Doku, meanwhile, has shone in his debut season with Man City with 17 goal involvements, and Tedesco knows he will be an important weapon in Germany. "He [Doku] is one of the players Romelu looks after like a mentor," Tedesco said. "You notice that when they are together on the pitch: he gives him tips time and time again about when to shoot or other things too.

"They're similar types of players. Jeremy is difficult to defend against too: I don't think a centre-half would opt to be in a one-on-one situation with him if he could avoid it. He can change a game because he has the dynamism to do this. He is able to contribute lots to the team and is simply a really nice lad. A small and intelligent lad who knows just what he wants."

Being off everyone's radar may just suit Tedesco and Co as their Euro 2024 campaign gets underway. Indeed, few nations are in such good form. The Italian-German coach was rewarded with that new contract because he is unbeaten as Belgium boss to date, with the Red Devils' last defeat coming all the way back at the 2022 World Cup against Morocco.

Granted, they have not faced top-tier opposition too often in the weeks and months since, but the Belgians have defeated Germany and an impressive Austria side, and they held England to a draw at Wembley back in March. The recent bore-draw with Ireland was uninspiring, but Belgium could hardly be in better shape as they gear up for the European Championship.

"I think everyone is hungry, but we need to make the atmosphere as positive as possible, because it's not easy spending a lot of days and weeks together, hopefully it will be several weeks, and that is what we want to focus on above all right now," Tedesco told UEFA.

"I think we have a lot of exciting players, a lot of young players who have taken the next step over the last few months, transferring to bigger clubs, so that is very exciting. We already have a lot of variety. We can be very flexible, depending on who we have available to us. We are already able to play several different ways."

If Belgium win a favourable group containing Slovakia, Romania and Ukraine, their pathway suggests they have a good chance of reaching the semi-finals, and from there anything is possible. Write them off at your peril!