Real Madrid needs to secure a victory against Espanyol on Saturday to keep their hopes alive in the La Liga title race, where they are currently trailing bitter rivals Barcelona by 11 points. This gap has widened significantly during the absence of starting goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
Courtois has been sidelined since sustaining an injury in the warm-up before Real Madrid’s Champions League match against Manchester City in March. Despite the hamstring issue, he played the first half at the Etihad Stadium. Although Andriy Lunin has performed admirably in his stead, the club is eager for Courtois’ return.
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As reported by Diario AS, Courtois is expected to return next weekend in time for the highly anticipated El Clasico at Spotify Camp Nou. Real Madrid is optimistic that their star goalkeeper will receive medical clearance before traveling to Catalonia, though the match against Espanyol will likely be too early for him.
Courtois has recently resumed partial training with the team, and it is anticipated that he will fully rejoin the squad at the beginning of next week. If all goes well, he should be fit to face Barcelona, and he is expected to reclaim his position in the starting lineup.
Courtois’ Return: Too Late for Real Madrid?
The positive aspect for Courtois is that he will be back in action with several weeks left in the season, allowing him to regain his fitness ahead of this summer’s World Cup in North America. Real Madrid is counting on his return, although they would have preferred it to happen sooner, while they were still in contention for the La Liga title.