Real Madrid News
Official: Thibaut Courtois picks up injury, will be ready for Real Madrid vs Barcelona
After a slow start to the season, Karim Benzema picked up an injury against Celtic in the Champions League, ruling him out for nearly a month. The Frenchman missed games against Mallorca, RB Leipzig, and Atletico Madrid; all of which Madrid won.
However, the Frenchman has been included in the squad list for the game against Osasuna tonight, which is obviously a huge boost for Los Blancos.
Just when they thought they are slowly getting their best team back on the pitch, Thibaut Courtois has picked up an injury, officially confirmed by Real Madrid.
“After the tests carries out on Thibaut Courtois, he has been diagnosed with left sciatica”, the medical report read.
Parte médico de Courtois.#RealMadrid
— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) October 2, 2022
Sciatica is the pain caused when the nerve running down from your lower back to your feet – sciatica – is irritated or compressed.
Naturally, his recovery will determine the length of his injury, but reports from COPE say that the player is expected to have recovered in time for El Clasico two weeks later.
As for today, Andriy Lunin will likely take Courtois’ place in goal. The Ukrainian kept two clean sheets during the international break, and was extremely reliable when called upon last season.
According to TeamTalk, Real Madrid have joined the growing list of clubs monitoring Gabriel Rajkovic, a 15-year-old winger whose rapid development at Valerenga has already attracted attention from several of Europe’s leading sides.
The Merengues are known for keeping an eye on exciting young talent across the globe and it seems that Rajkovic’s exploits in Norway, with the first team, have alerted them.
Real Madrid keeping tabs on Rajkovic
As per the report, Real Madrid are among a host of clubs closely following the progress of the young forward.
Rajkovic holds both Norwegian and Serbian nationality and has emerged as one of the most promising young players in Norway.
His development has not gone unnoticed, with Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund also understood to be monitoring him.
However, at this point, it is Arsenal and Chelsea, who are understood to be leading the charge for Rajkovic, having compiled a detailed dossier on the teenage prodigy after extensive scouting.
On top of that, the likes of Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur have all watched Rajkovic in recent weeks.
Real Madrid could therefore face significant competition if they decide to step up their interest in a player who has already made an impression at senior level.
Making an impact at just 15
Rajkovic was handed a promotion to the Valerenga first-team squad in January earlier this year, when he was only 14 years old.
Following that, he signed a new contract with the club in March, when he turned 15, committing to the club until 2028.
Despite being only 15, the winger has already begun gaining experience in first-team football. In all, he has made 14 senior appearances for the Norwegian outfit, scoring three and assisting one goal.
Rajkovic has also represented Norway Under-16s, making two appearances and scoring once despite being younger than many of his teammates.
Those numbers become more impressive when his age and stage of development are taken into account.
Real Madrid have built a reputation for identifying young talent well before players reach their peak, and Rajkovic has now emerged as another name on their scouting radar.
But given the number of clubs in the race, signing the teenage wonderkid will not be easy.
