Real Madrid News
Real Madrid superstar played against Man City with a triceps injury, could miss Valencia clash
According to MARCA, Real Madrid superstar Thibaut Courtois played last night’s game against Manchester City while carrying a triceps injury. It is now expected that the Belgian international will miss the upcoming game against Valencia in La Liga.
Real Madrid were hammered 4-0 by Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium, which sent them crashing out of the UEFA Champions League at the semi-final stages. And if not for Courtois, the scoreline could have been much worse for Carlo Ancelotti’s men.
Indeed, the Belgian was easily the best Real Madrid player on the night even though he conceded four goals, which should be an indicator of how poor the rest of the team was.
Courtois pulled off two brilliant stops to deny Erling Haaland in the first period and kept Madrid in the game, although he was let down by those around him.
Now, it has emerged that the goalkeeper played the game while carrying a small triceps tear. As per the report, Courtois picked up the injury against Getafe in La Liga last weekend and played through it at the Etihad Stadium.
While his discomfort was not really evident, there were occasions when the Real Madrid staff kept checking on Courtois during the course of the encounter.
With the La Liga title race also over, Courtois will likely be rested against Valencia so that he can recover from his injury issue.
Apart from Courtois, another Real Madrid player, Eduardo Camavinga was also no 100% fit against Manchester City last night after he too picked up an injury against Getafe.
So, it does raise the question about whether Ancelotti really needed to use his frontline players in an inconsequential league game given that Barcelona had all but won the title at that time.
Real Madrid set out on a mission to change the minds of Dani Ceballos, Marco Asensio and Nacho Fernandez earlier this week. After all, all three players were contemplating a departure from the club for a gross lack of minutes.
Los Blancos’ latest approach seems to have impacted Ceballos’ position in a positive fashion. However, Fabrizio Romano reveals that it has not changed Marco Asensio’s mind.
According to the Italian journalist, the Spaniard will leave Real Madrid at the end of the season as a free agent.
Of the numerous options on his table, he sees Aston Villa and PSG to be the best bets. In fact, Villa have already submitted their opening bid for the player as revealed by Fabrizio Romano once again.
After a dramatic final day of action in the Premier League, Aston Villa finished in the European spots and will participate in the UEFA Conference League next season. While a move to the English club would be a steep step down, it will see Asensio receive regular playing time.
Paris-Saint Germain, on that front, appears the more probable destination. The French club are close to losing both Lionel Messi and Neymar Jr ahead of the new season, and Asensio would thus fit in as a starting quality winger. Moreover, they offer Champions League football.
The Spaniard’s role at Real Madrid this season has not been minor by any means considering his contributions. In 30 La Liga appearances, the 27-year-old has scored nine goals and provided six assists in addition to creating nine big chances and averaging 1.4 key passes per game.
However, that does not satisfy the winger who wishes to be a starter week in and week out. His departure in June appears to be now written in stone, and the club should feel hard done to not make a penny of his move.
Many in Los Blancos’ administration see Brahim Diaz as a direct replacement for the Spanish international if he leaves. Needless to say, the AC Milan star’s future will closely depend on Asensio’s situation.
