Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibault Courtois sustained ACL damage during Thursday morning’s training session and is expected to now miss the remainder of the season. His campaign is unfortunately over before it has even begun.
ACL injuries are some of the most damaging injuries in the game of football. An anterior cruciate ligament injury occurs via the over-stretching or tearing of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in the knee. The recovery time is often up to a whole year, although Real Madrid are hoping he could return in April, in the crunchtime period of the season.
For Real Madrid, this is an unquantifiable blow. The 31-year-old Belgian goalkeeper has been a lynchpin in the side since his arrival in 2018. He won the Zamora trophy in 2019/20. In 2022, he was widely regarded as the best goalkeeper in the world after he made nine saves in the Champions League Final.
Belgium’s head coach, Domenico Tedesco, will undoubtedly be worried about Courtois’s recent injury, especially with the upcoming European Championship in Germany on the horizon. Currently, Belgium is positioned second in their qualification group, trailing Austria by three points, albeit with a game in hand.
Now, Real Madrid are left with Andrey Lunin to stand in for the 6ft7 shot-stopper. The Ukranian is inexperienced, he has made just nine La Liga appearances for Los Blancos. He struggled in the games in which he was forced to deputise last season and Real Madrid would struggle to compete as effectively if he was expected to play all games.
This could force Real Madrid to make a last-ditch attempt for a new goalkeeper. David de Gea, recently out of contract at Manchester United, could be the perfect option for a one-year deal. The Spaniard grew up in Madrid and almost signed with them in 2015, only for a dodgy fax machine to delay the signing and thwart the whole deal. Now, eight years later, De Gea may finally get his move to Real Madrid.
After having parted ways with club legend Karim Benzema this summer, Real Madrid have failed to sign a new striker and are left with a Ballon d’Or winning, 185cm-sized hole at the top of the pitch. For the first time in their illustrious history, Real Madrid will be starting a season without a player wearing the ‘9’ shirt. After today, Real Madrid unexpectedly find themselves missing two key positions.
There are huge expectations for Real this season. For a club that prides itself on excellence, Real Madrid’s last season fell short of expectations. Under Carlo Ancelotti’s management, the team clinched victories in the Copa del Rey, UEFA Super Cup, and FIFA Club World Cup. However, they trailed by 10 points to Barcelona in La Liga and couldn’t match Manchester City’s prowess in the Champions League semi-finals.
Over the summer, they have forked out €100m on the young prodigy Jude Bellingham in what might become the club’s record deal. They have also added Turkish starlet Arda Guler to their ranks and Brahim Diaz.
They have seen wins over AC Milan and Manchester United in pre-season yet have also suffered dismal defeats against Juventus and Barcelona. It has been a truly mixed bag. Without Courtois and an out-and-out striker, it is only going to be tougher for Real.
Expect Real Madrid to get active in the transfer market over the next couple of weeks! Who do you think they will sign? Let us know on Twitter @365Scores and @NickyH3lfgott.
By Nicky Helfgott / @NickyH3lfgott on Twitter
