On Thursday (August 10), a mere two days before kicking off their 2023-24 La Liga campaign, Real Madrid officially confirmed Thibaut Courtois’ ACL injury. The Belgian goalkeeper, who has been a rock at the back for Los Blancos over the last three seasons, reportedly left Thursday’s training session in tears. Courtois will now undergo surgery, and depending on how it goes, could be out for the rest of the season.
Real Madrid have sparingly used Thibaut Courtois’ understudy Andriy Lunin
With the former Chelsea ace ruled out, Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti is left with Andriy Lunin as his only available first-team goalkeeper.
The 24-year-old has been on the fringes since joining the Whites from Zorya Lugansk for a $9.35 million fee in July 2018. Following a couple of loan spells, Lunin returned to the Santiago Bernabeu in July 2020 but is yet to become a trusted soldier of Ancelotti’s platoon. He has played only 16 matches under the Italian so far, keeping just four clean sheets and conceding 17 goals.
According to reports, Ancelotti does not rely on the Ukrainian and is not prepared to deploy him as his first-choice goalkeeper for the 2023-24 season.
BREAKING: Thibaut Courtois has broken his ACL. 🚨⚪️⚠️ #RealMadrid
“After the tests carried out on our player Thibaut Courtois, he’s been diagnosed with a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament of his left knee. The player will undergo surgery in the coming days”. pic.twitter.com/Eywu1KJ4fX
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 10, 2023
Manchester United legend David De Gea could come to Madrid’s rescue
Real Madrid are reportedly scouring the market in search of a worthy replacement for Courtois, with former Manchester United star David de Gea emerging as a possible option. De Gea is currently a free agent after leaving Old Trafford at the end of his contract earlier this summer, meaning Madrid only need to agree personal terms with him to bring him back to Spain.
At 32, De Gea still has a lot of football left in him. Yes, he is not comfortable with the ball at his feet, which contributed to his Old Trafford exit, but that shortcoming should not be a deal-breaker for Madrid. Unlike Ten Hag’s United, Ancelotti’s Madrid do not depend on their keeper’s ball-playing ability. Instead, they rely on their keeper’s shot-stopping skills, on his ability to pull out spectacular saves and keep his team in the contest. Considering De Gea is one of the best shot-stoppers around and is very much at the top of his game, he should not have any problems fitting in.
As per reports, Madrid are also in the running for Sevilla goalkeeper Yassine Bounou. The 32-year-old is also a fine option, but he would not be available during Morocco’s AFCON run-in in January. De Gea, who has retired from international football, would not have availability issues.
De Gea Was Once A Top Target For Real Madrid
De Gea, who won the Premier League Golden Glove last season, was close to moving to Madrid in 2015, with then-Madrid keeper Keylor Navas set to go the other way. All parties were on board, but Los Blancos reportedly failed to submit the paperwork on time, causing the deal to collapse on deadline day. It ultimately worked out in Madrid’s favor, however, as Navas ended up being integral to their Champions League hat-trick between 2016 and 2018.
This time, Madrid have a lot more to lose, as they could be in for a painful season if they cannot bring in a new goalkeeper before the window closes at the end of the month.
Add Sportslens to your Google News Feed!
