Real Madrid made it past Manchester City earlier this week to book their place in the Champions League quarter-finals, but it was not without sacrifice. Thibaut Courtois, who was excellent at the Etihad Stadium, was forced off at half time with a muscle issue, and the early signs are not promising.
Initially, it had been hoped that Courtois would be able to play in this weekend’s Madrid derby, which could have a big bearing on Real Madrid’s La Liga title battle with Barcelona. However, this is now looking less and less likely, especially now Diario AS have reported that the Belgian goalkeeper has possible suffered a tear in his right adductor.
Courtois will undergo further medical examinations on Thursday, at which point a clearer picture can be formed. Real Madrid had hoped it was only an overload, but it could now be that Alvaro Arbeloa is without his first-choice goalkeeper for a number of weeks.
How long could Courtois be out for?
Given that Courtois suffered the injury in the warm-up prior to the Man City match, meaning that he likely aggravated it while playing, there is a chance that the tear is significant. A minor one would mean he’s out for 3-4 weeks at most, but a major one could mean he’s out for months – either way, he’ll not be able to play again before the international break, thus he is effectively ruled out of this weekend’s Madrid derby.
It must be remembered that Real Madrid will face Bayern Munich in their Champions League quarter-final tie. The first leg takes place in three weeks’ time at the Bernabeu, and if Courtois is lucky, he will be able to return in time for that, although the latest diagnosis means it is very uncertain.
In the next 24 hours, Real Madrid will know more about Courtois’ situation. They will be praying for positive news, but in the meantime, Andriy Lunin will be gearing up to face Atletico Madrid this weekend.
