Real Madrid suffered an enormous blow on the eve of the brand new La Liga season with goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois rupturing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee throughout coaching on Thursday. The 31-year-old Belgium worldwide faces a prolonged spell on the sidelines and can endure surgical procedure within the coming days, his membership mentioned. “Following tests carried out on Thibaut Courtois, he has been diagnosed with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee,” Madrid mentioned in an announcement.

The membership didn’t specify how lengthy Courtois can be out however studies in Spain recommend he’ll miss a lot of the season, if not all of it.

Courtois suffered the harm throughout a morning coaching session and left in tears, in accordance with Cadena Cope radio. He can be changed within the staff by Ukraine’s Andriy Lunin, with Madrid as a consequence of play Athletic Bilbao on Saturday of their first recreation of the season.

Courtois joined Madrid from Chelsea after the 2018 World Cup, serving to the membership to a pair of La Liga crowns and the 2021-22 Champions League title.

The harm leaves coach Carlo Ancelotti now with out two of his most dependable performers in latest instances following the departure of Karim Benzema, the reigning Ballon d’Or, to Saudi Arabia.

Courtois gained the Yashin trophy final yr awarded to the world’s finest goalkeeper. His understudy at Madrid, the 24-year-old Lunin has performed 17 instances for the membership since arriving the identical summer time as Courtois.

Belgium may even be sweating over his health for Euro 2024. Courtois has 102 caps for his nation however refused to make the journey to Estonia for a Euro qualifier in June after being ignored for the stand-in captaincy.