Thibaut Courtois Faces Extended Spell on the Sidelines

Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois is facing yet another setback in his return to the team. After suffering an ACL tear in his left knee last August, which required surgery and caused him to miss the entire 2023-24 season, the Belgian international was on the verge of a comeback. However, his hopes were dashed when he suffered a meniscus tear in his right knee during a training session on Tuesday.

Courtois, who had been expected to make his return next month, will now be sidelined for another four to six weeks. This comes at a crucial stage of the season for Real Madrid, who are currently sitting at the top of LaLiga and are set to face Manchester City in the Champions League quarterfinals.

In a statement released by Real Madrid, it was confirmed that Courtois had sustained a ruptured internal meniscus in his right knee. The club stated that the injury occurred during Tuesday’s training session and that Courtois would be closely monitored. Sources revealed that Courtois was visibly affected by the injury and left the training session in tears.

Although Courtois and the club had initially hoped for a return in April, the new injury has cast doubt on his availability for the remainder of the season. Coach Carlo Ancelotti had been optimistic about Courtois’ return, especially with the important matches coming up, but now the goalkeeper’s participation in the upcoming games is in question.

With Courtois likely to miss the rest of the season, Real Madrid will have to rely on their backup goalkeepers to see them through the final stretch of the campaign. The uncertainty surrounding Courtois’ recovery time has left the club in a difficult position as they aim to maintain their lead in LaLiga and advance in the Champions League.

At this point, it remains to be seen how Real Madrid will cope with Courtois’ absence and whether they can still achieve their goals without their star goalkeeper. The coming weeks will be crucial for the team as they navigate through this latest setback and look to secure silverware in the remaining competitions.