Real Madrid have been told Thibaut Courtois has avoided a serious injury, with scans at Valdebebas on Monday confirming only a mild quadriceps problem after his early exit from Belgium’s World Cup quarter-final defeat to Spain.
According to Real Madrid’s official medical bulletin, the goalkeeper reported to Valdebebas as soon as Belgium’s tournament ended, with Spanish broadcaster Cope confirming the tests ruled out serious damage to the muscle. The 34-year-old was substituted in tears during Friday’s 2-1 loss to Spain after feeling pain in his left quadriceps, ending a run of 21 consecutive World Cup matches without missing a minute.
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Real Madrid’s medical staff expect Courtois to rejoin Jose Mourinho’s first-team sessions during the final week of July, once he completes the rest period scheduled for eliminated players. The club is still being cautious, and has already ruled him out of the opening pre-season friendly against Fiorentina in Klagenfurt on 1 August.
That caution leaves Courtois on course to be available for Real Madrid’s LaLiga opener at Espanyol on 23 August, a timeline Cope and Defensa Central both reported on Monday alongside the club’s own assessment. Mourinho will welcome the reassurance: with Courtois, Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior all still away on international duty, the second-spell coach is short of several first-choice names in his opening week of preparations.
It means a goalkeeping scare at a World Cup has, for once, not become a genuine pre-season problem. Barring a setback, Courtois should have close to a full month of training before LaLiga’s first ball is kicked, exactly the continuity the club’s pre-season state of play update flagged as the priority once the World Cup contingent returns.
