Courtois Return Signals Real Madrid’s World Cup Homecoming
The Courtois return is officially under way at Valdebebas. Thibaut Courtois has become the latest of Real Madrid’s World Cup contingent to report back for pre-season, with Kylian Mbappé, Jude Bellingham and more of José Mourinho’s internationals set to follow on Monday as Los Blancos build towards the new LaLiga campaign.
Courtois return already in motion
Courtois picked up a minor muscle issue at the World Cup and stayed behind in Madrid rather than travelling to Hungary for the club’s latest friendly, according to COPE’s Melchor Ruiz. Like new signing Yan Diomandé before him, the Belgian has been training individually at Valdebebas in the summer heat, working back to full fitness. The plan, as Madrid Universal relayed, is for the goalkeeper to rejoin full training ahead of Real Madrid’s next friendly against Deportivo La Coruña.
The World Cup stars still to come
A bigger wave is due imminently. Marc Cucurella, Ibrahima Konaté, Aurélien Tchouaméni, Mbappé and Bellingham are the final World Cup participants still to return, and reports suggest all five will be back on Monday. The quintet went deep in the tournament, with Cucurella lifting the trophy alongside Spain and Bellingham’s England finishing third. Their late arrival means they may sit out the Deportivo game before potentially making their Mourinho bows against Schalke — Real Madrid’s final pre-season test before the LaLiga opener against Espanyol.
