Real Madrid News
Key Real Madrid star will not be risked before El Clasico – report
If one turns the clock back to the final of the 2021-22 UEFA Champions League, they would understand the importance of Thibaut Courtois in this Real Madrid side. Be it the biggest stage or a game against a third-division opponent, the Belgian guarantees a performance any goalkeeper would be proud of.
To say that he is one of the backbones of the team would be an understatement. His absence, needless to say, is a very big blow to Real Madrid’s campaign.
This past weekend, Los Blancos confirmed that the shot-stopper would be sidelined through sciatica. No expected return date was provided because the prognosis of the condition depends entirely on the recovery.
Reliable journalist Mario Cortegana reports that the injury is worse than was initially thought. Commenting on Courtois’s situation, he said:
“With Courtois, we have to be cautious. On Sunday morning it seemed minor. Now the plan is to not let him play until El Clasico. Let’s see how it evolves.”
While Carlo Ancelotti hopes to have the Belgian back in time for the clash against Barcelona, his participation is far from guaranteed. Until his return, Andriy Lunin will start in between the sticks and hope to prove his worth to the manager.
For the first time in the season, Real Madrid dropped points against Osasuna at the weekend. Coincidentally, that was also their first game without Courtois and Ancelotti will hope that the two events are not correlated.
The goalkeeper will be on the sidelines for his team’s two clashes against Shakhtar Donetsk and the La Liga game with Getafe in between. With the Clasico scheduled in less than two weeks, he will have to rush his recovery to make the dream return possible.
Eden Hazard is one of the Real Madrid players who have vowed to stay at Santiago Bernabeu until the end of his contract. His current deal at the club expires in 2024.
Even though the Real Madrid star has been courted by several MLS and even the Saudi Arabian clubs, the forward has shown no desire to leave Bernabeu just yet. He wants to stay at the club even though Los Blancos are ready to sanction his sale this summer.
In the midst of this drama, a fresh report from Alfredo Matilla suggests Real Madrid are now considering terminating the contract of Eden Hazard.
This comes shortly after a report which claimed that a Real Madrid player who is not out of contract this summer, may shockingly leave the club this summer. Ferland Mendy was a potential candidate, but it appears Hazard has not been ruled out either.
The Belgian international has offered very little since joining from Chelsea in 2019 for a record-breaking €115 million fee. His spell at the Bernabeu has been marred by injuries, while the player has also struggled to impress when given the opportunities.
Inside the Real Madrid dressing room, there is both grief and resentment towards Belgian, who has remained steadfast in his decision to stay at the club. He has a good standing in the team due to his professionalism, but the Real Madrid bosses are determined to get rid of him this summer.
Hazard, after all, is the highest-paid player in the squad and his departure could open up a chunk of the space in the salary mass. But it must be noted that Real Madrid would have to spend a fortune to terminate Hazard’s contract.
Hence, it will be interesting to see whether or not Los Blancos end up splashing the cash in order to get Hazard out of their books this coming summer.
