Four days before the first game of this season against Athletic Bilbao, Real Madrid shot-stopper Thibaut Courtois was diagnosed with an ACL tear to his left knee, which kept him out of action for 7-8 months.
Now, just as the Belgian was nearing recovery and there were hopes that the goalkeeper would get back on the field after the current international break, he has torn the meniscus in his other knee during training, as reported by Diario AS.
Gutted, Courtois made his way out of training in tears, as this injury would keep the keeper out for two months – effectively ruling him out for the rest of the season.
Real Madrid have also officially announced this latest setback for the Belgian, and this injury means that Andriy Lunin will remain Ancelotti’s 1st choice in goal for the remaining part of the season.
The Merengues will definitely be sad as the waiting period for the Belgian’s return to the football field gets longer, but Lunin has proven to be an able replacement for the star shot-stopper.
The Ukrainian has kept 8 out of 17 clean sheets in the league and 2 out of 4 in the UEFA Champions League, and gave a memorable performance against RB Leipzig in the 1st leg of the round of 16, which ultimately proved to be decisive as Real Madrid advanced to the quarter-finals.
The upcoming tie against Manchester City will perhaps be the biggest game of Lunin’s career, and his performance in this game can also help the Ukrainian make a strong case to be Real Madrid’s starting keeper next season as well.
Meanwhile, as far as Courtois is concerned, he will return to action ahead of the 2024/25 season. It remains to be seen whether the Belgian will regain his form in time as doing so after going through such injuries -especially an ACL tear- is never easy.