Real Madrid unfazed by Thibaut Courtois injury | OneFootball

After pulling out of the Belgium national team due to a minor fitness problem, Thibaut Courtois has returned to Real Madrid for further checks.

According to The Athletic, the 30-year-old will be available for selection when Los Merengues take on La Liga strugglers Real Valladolid next weekend.

Courtois was between the sticks when Belgium thumped Sweden 3-0 to get their European Championship qualifying campaign off to a flying start on Friday.

However, after sustaining a minor strain in the adductor, the highly-rated goalkeeper withdrew from Domenico Tedesco’s squad in the build-up to Tuesday’s friendly encounter against Germany.

While initial concerns over Courtois’ well-being threw his availability for the upcoming Copa del Rey showdown against Barcelona into doubt, the recent update has played down such fears.

It’s no wonder Madrid accelerated the Belgian’s return to the Santiago Bernabeu for detailed medical checks, given recent injury scares surrounding their star shot-stopper.

Courtois first felt discomfort in Los Merengues’ Champions League home triumph over Liverpool earlier in March, forcing him to stay on the sidelines during a 1-0 league loss at Mallorca the following weekend.

He has since regained his place in Carlo Ancelotti’s starting line-up, helping Madrid string together four league games without losing before a 2-1 El Clasico defeat at Barcelona on the eve of the international break.

Despite his topsy-turvy showings in 2023, the former Chelsea man remains an indispensable first-team member for the reigning La Liga champions.

His intimidating presence between the sticks will be required when Los Merengues take on Barcelona in the return leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final tie on April 5.

Ancelotti’s team suffered a gut-wrenching 1-0 defeat in the first leg at home and will have a mountain to climb if they’re to turn the tie on its head at Spotify Camp Nou next month.