When Sam Vines was left off Royal Antwerp’s Champions League roster for the upcoming group stage, it appeared that his recent injury must have been serious.
Vines started the 2023-24 season well, scoring an excellent goal from distance against Union Saint-Gilloise in league play last weekend before leaving the match with an injury.
But the truth of why Vines won’t play in the Champions League is actually much stranger.
As Antwerp head coach Mark van Bommel revealed at a press conference on Thursday, Vines was omitted from the roster by mistake.
“We have made an administrative error and it cannot be corrected,” Van Bommel said.
The coach added that although Vines is injured, he is expected to be fit at some point during the group stage.
“Everyone wants to be on that list, so he is disappointed,” Van Bommel said. “Sam is now recovering and we cannot estimate how long he will be out, but he should be fit before the end of the group stage.”
Van Bommel added: “He is now focusing on his rehabilitation, that is the most important thing.”
Missing the chance to face Barcelona, Shakhtar Donetsk and Porto in the Champions League will be a major blow for Vines, who was also forced out of contention for a World Cup roster spot last year due to a broken leg.
Vines would return in March and made a handful of appearances for the club’s reserves, before he was reintegrated into the senior team ahead of the current season.
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