Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has bid farewell to the season, after surgery on his right knee went successfully. The Belgian goalkeeper, who has been recovering from an anterior cruciate ligament injury in his left knee since the start of the season, will miss the entire campaign.
As per Diario AS, the surgery to remove his meniscus went successfully, but will mean a recovery time of around two months, which ends all hope of him returning in time for the end of the season, and in all likelihood, the Euros too. It had been thought that he would be back in action at some point in mid-April.
Nuevo parte médico de Courtois.#RealMadrid
— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) March 20, 2024
Courtois has previously injured his right knee meniscus during his time at Chelsea, missing three months following surgery in 2015. During that period he missed 20 matches, but Courtois should be back for the start of the next campaign. The 31-year-old sent a message to his fans on social media, assuring them that it was a ‘small setback’, and that he would ‘return stronger’.
The upshot of this is that Carlo Ancelotti will finish the season with Andriy Lunin in goal, having earned the number one spot ahead of Kepa Arrizabalaga. Los Blancos are not set to offer Lunin a new deal in light of the injury issues suffered by Courtois, although it is not yet clear whether he wants to remain.
