Real Madrid News
Real Madrid superstar does not have muscle injury, could play Club World Cup final
In somewhat of a positive development, Real Madrid have learnt that Thibaut Courtois does not have a muscle injury but just an overload following the latest scans carried out on the goalkeeper.
This claim comes from journalist Carlos Rodriguez, who states that the results of the latest MRI scans carried out on Courtois have revealed no muscle injury.
Courtois pulled up with some discomfort in his groin during the warm-up before the La Liga clash against RCD Mallorca this past Sunday.
It forced manager Carlo Ancelotti to withdraw the Belgian international and replace him with Andriy Lunin in the starting XI, as Los Blancos went on to lose 1-0 at Son Moix.
Following the injury, Courtois was left out of the travelling party that flew to Morocco yesterday for the FIFA Club World Cup. However, the goalkeeper’s name remains on the squad list, with manager Ancelotti confirming as much in his press conference earlier today.
“All three [Courtois, Benzema and Militao] are on the list because it means they can recover for the final. We’ll see, we preferred to leave them in Madrid to follow the best treatment. We’ll see if they’re ready for Saturday’s game,” he said.
Now, it has emerged that Courtois’ scan results are positive and the Belgian international could still be ready in time for the finals of the FIFA Club World Cup, provided Real Madrid beat Al Ahly in the semi-finals tomorrow and qualify.
While Courtois has chances of flying to Morocco in the coming days, another report from journalist Sergio Valentin is claiming that Real Madrid are erring on the side of caution when it comes to the conditions of Eder Militao and Karim Benzema and no decision has been made on their involvement.
Real Madrid News
Real Madrid, Barcelona, Liverpool monitoring 19-year-old Bundesliga wonderkid – Romano
According to Fabrizio Romano, Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Liverpool are all monitoring Bayer Leverkusen and Germany wonderkid Florian Wirtz.
After recovering from his ACL injury, the teenage sensation has been slowly working his way back to his best form. So far this term, Wirtz has managed to rack up a tally of two goals and six assists from 13 matches in all competitions.
The 19-year-old’s talent and potential have never been in question and hence it does not come as a surprise that elite clubs such as Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Liverpool are all keeping tabs on the German international.
A versatile attacking midfielder, Wirtz is capable of playing anywhere in the final third of the pitch and backs up with top-notch end product. Be it as a false-nine or in a more withdrawn role, the youngster has excelled for Bayer Leverkusen, catching the attention of top teams.
Real Madrid, for their part, are also understood to be among Wirtz’s admirers. Given the situation surrounding Karim Benzema’s fitness and the lack of backup at the top, the youngster could be an option, as he has shown potential while operating through the middle.
But Barcelona also have a strong interest in the teenager with reports even suggesting that they have already made contact with his father to enquire about his situation.
At the same time, Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp is understood to be a huge admirer of his fellow German and with Roberto Firmino on his way out, Wirtz could be lined up as a possible replacement.
However, Romano adds that the expectation is that Wirtz could stay at Bayer Leverkusen for one more year and depart Germany once the UEFA Euro 2024 is out of the way.
For now, there have been talks or negotiations with any clubs, but Real Madrid, Barcelona and Liverpool are all tracking Wirtz and his progress in Germany.
