Although Andriy Lunin’s performances have not allowed Real Madrid to miss their starting goalkeeper too much this season, Thibaut Courtois’ return to full fitness will still be a very good piece of news for Carlo Ancelotti.
The Belgian is probably the best goalkeeper in the world, and having him between the sticks adds an extra layer of security to the Los Blancos goal that few strikers can breach. Thus, the ACL tear that he suffered at the start of the season could have been a significant blow for Real Madrid, if Lunin had not stepped up in his absence.
While the Real Madrid team did not suffer too much without him, this was not exactly the case with Courtois himself, who had to undergo a very difficult period with this injury. As Mundo Deportivo has reported, the Belgian himself shared how bad things were looking for him as he suffered the worst kind of injury for a footballer:
“You have to be positive, above all. In August, I cried because the worst thing that can happen to you in football is the cruciate. When I got home, I said I was going to work hard and come back strong.”
“It was my idea from the beginning: to be positive, to fight, and never give up, to push your limits. Many thought my season was over, but I knew it wasn’t.”
Other than his injury, the goalkeeper also talked about what it means to be a player at Real Madrid:
“From the outside, you always see the greatness, but until you are inside, you do not notice the impact that Real Madrid has on world football.”
“Every year, you fight to win the Champions League; the club is the best in the world, and really, when you are inside, you see everything. When you travel the world, you realize the impact.”
Lastly, Courtois also mentioned two matches that had the most significant impact on his career at Real Madrid:
“One is the match against Galatasaray. I made about three saves and gained confidence. Since then, everything has gone up.”
“The second moment was winning the Champions League final against Liverpool. Being able to win that final with so many saves and being chosen as the man of the match is footballistically one of the best moments of my life.”
The Belgian might have another UEFA Champions League final awaiting him in a few days, but it is still not clear whether he or Lunin will start in the goal for that match.
His last few matches since returning from injury, and Lunin conceding four goals against Villarreal, make him the favorite to start the final.
Hopefully, Courtois will once again be at his best level, as he was against Liverpool two years ago, if he gets the nod ahead of the Ukrainian.
