Real Madrid News
Real Madrid ace back in team training ahead of Elche encounter
Real Madrid secured an important victory at the end weekend when they swept aside their arch-rivals FC Barcelona 3-1 at Santiago Bernabeu. The win helped them register a three-point lead over the Catalans at the top of the league table.
Despite the win, the Whites had missed a key player in Thibaut Courtois. The goalkeeper was expected to return in time for the clash but was ruled out due to a lack of participation in training.
He had been suffering from sciatica for a few weeks now. It led to the Belgian international missing three crucial matches in La Liga, while he also missed both legs against Shakhtar Donetsk in the UEFA Champions League.
However, according to Arancha Rodriguez, Courtois should soon make his comeback to the pitch as he has returned to team training.
This could serve as a massive boost for Real Madrid, who are slated to face on Wednesday. It is a must-win game for Los Blancos, especially with Barcelona breathing down their necks despite the weekend’s defeat.
Andriy Lunin has been deputising for the injured Courtois over the past few weeks. While it will not come as a surprise to see the Ukrainian continue in goal for one more game, there is a slight possibility that Courtois may assume the duties once again.
However, with crucial games coming up, Carlo Ancelotti is likely to proceed with caution as he looks to avoid any unnecessary injuries. Courtois himself will look to take a cautious approach, especially with the FIFA World Cup coming up next month.
The Real Madrid goalkeeper is likely to play a vital role for the Belgian national team as they look to put an end to their curse in the coveted competition.
Courtois was awarded the prestigious Yashin Trophy for the best-performing goalkeeper in Europe last season at the Ballon d’Or Gala last night.
Real Madrid News
Real Madrid locker room angry with Barcelona midfielder’s ‘unsportsmanlike’ behaviour – report
While the evident frustration among the Real Madrid players was quite visible following the recent 1-2 defeat against Barcelona, the feeling of vexation was not really limited on the field.
Journalist Mario Cortegana, while writing for The Athletic, has confirmed that once the players got into the dressing room, the environment had an air of anger and frustration.
Players from each team had a go at each other right till the end, especially the likes of Dani Carvajal and Arnau Tenas, who had to be separated by several members from both teams.
Interestingly, before the aforementioned incident, Barcelona midfielder Gavi was already causing some trouble on the field. The youngster did not shy away from putting his body on the line throughout the game and it annoyed Madrid players to the extreme.
First, he pushed Carvajal in one incident and after that, he entangled himself in an off-the-ball clash with Dani Ceballos. The Madrid midfielder first had a collision with Robert Lewandowski and as the game moved on, Gavi made note of the incident.
During the run of play, Gavi pushed Ceballos with his shoulder and it did not settle well with the Madrid players and manager Carlo Ancelotti. The players and the manager were disturbed by Gavi’s behaviour and considered it ‘unsportsmanlike’.
On the other hand, there was frustration involving refereeing decisions as well. It must be remembered that in the 82nd minute, Marco Asensio found the back of the net to send the Madrid fans into a frenzy.
The celebration, however, was cut short as VAR disallowed the goal for an extremely tight offside. “We are sad, frustrated,” a dressing room source told The Athletic. “What happened? A guy looking at a TV in Madrid has decided La Liga.”
Ancelotti, on his part, said: “The disallowed goal? I don’t know, I really don’t know. I don’t know, I don’t know, I don’t know. I’m leaving with this doubt. If the VAR is sure.”
“I leave this match very proud. I don’t think we deserved to lose today,” he added.
