Real Madrid News
Real Madrid ace not ruled out of the FIFA Club World Cup final
Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois had picked up an injury during the warm-up when the Spanish giants locked horns with Mallorca this past weekend, forcing coach Carlo Ancelotti to field Andriy Lunin in the game.
Initial reports suggested that the goalkeeper’s injury was a serious one and that he might be ruled out of the FIFA Club World Cup and perhaps even the upcoming Champions League game against Liverpool.
However, according to Sergio Fernandez, Courtois has not been completely ruled out of the Club World Cup just yet. While the Belgian may miss the upcoming semifinal against Al Ahly, he could be in contention to feature in the final.
This is because the diagnostic imaging tests for Courtois’ injury have been quite positive. There has been no official word on the matter just yet, but the goalkeeper’s situation is being closely monitored and an outcome will come out shortly.
In the meantime, it is Lunin, who is the favourite to start in goal for Real Madrid when they take on Al Ahly this midweek. The Ukrainian starlet has struggled to gain regular game-time this season, which had led to speculations over his future at the club.
But the chance to represent Real Madrid in the Club World Cup could serve as an exciting opportunity for the 23-year-old, who has featured in eight competitive matches this season.
However, it must be noted that Real Madrid may not necessarily risk Courtois as soon as gets clearance from the medical team. Given the Belgian’s status as one of the best goalkeepers in the world, Los Merengues will be wary of potentially aggravating his injury.
Therefore, we may see Lunin continuing in goal if the Whites reach the final of the Club World Cup. Courtois is more than likely to get back into the thick of things when Real Madrid return to Europe next week and face Elche CF in La Liga.
Manchester City have now joined the ever-growing list of admirers for Celta Vigo midfielder and Real Madrid target Gabri Veiga, reports Jack Gaughan of the Daily Mail.
The 20-year-old midfielder has emerged as one of the breakout stars of La Liga this season, having impressed with his goalscoring abilities from the centre of the park. Indeed, the youngster has notched up nine goals in La Liga and his exploits have made the giants of Europe sit up and take notice.
Real Madrid are said to be interested in Veiga’s services heading into the summer. The Merengues have Luka Modric, Toni Kroos, and Dani Ceballos on expiring contracts and it is unlikely that all three will be renewed, especially with Jude Bellingham being on the agenda.
In case of Modric and Kroos, even if they stay, it will likely be for only a season at the most. Hence, Los Blancos could require more than one central midfielder come summer, with Veiga emerging as an option.
The 20-year-old was also attracting interest from the likes of Arsenal, Manchester United and Atletico Madrid. Now, Manchester City have also jumped on the bandwagon of clubs interested in Veiga’s services.
The Cityzens, who are battling Real Madrid for Bellingham as well, are set to lose Ilkay Gundogan in the summer when his contract expires. Meanwhile, Bernardo Silva’s future is also far from certain, thus necessitating the signing of another midfielder.
Veiga has a release clause worth €40 million in his contract with Celta Vigo, which should not be a problem for either Real Madrid or Manchester City.
Celta Vigo president Carlos Mourino recently admitted that the midfielder could leave the club in the summer, saying:
“We don’t want to sell Gabri Veiga, but they are going to buy him from us. And we can’t do anything there. We know some of his offers and it is impossible to reach them.
“There are several teams behind Gabri. Real Madrid? They haven’t asked us, we don’t know if they will have called the player. Of the top 10 in the Premier League, four have asked about him.”
It will certainly be interesting to see whether Real Madrid are prepared to go all out for Veiga’s signing or decide to entirely focus on their pursuit of Bellingham.
