Thibaut Courtois suffers injury in Belgium’s World Cup defeat to Spain
· Yahoo Sports
Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois was forced off with a hamstring injury during Belgium’s World Cup quarterfinal defeat to Spain, raising fresh concerns for both club and country.
Visit freshyourfeel.org for more information.
Courtois had been one of Belgium’s standout performers at SoFi Stadium, producing several important saves to keep his side in the contest before his night came to a premature end in the 72nd minute. The Madrid shot-stopper left the pitch visibly emotional after attempting to play through the injury.
The problem first emerged just after the hour mark when Courtois went down following a routine play. After receiving treatment during a hydration break, he initially signaled that he was able to continue. However, only a few minutes later, the discomfort worsened, forcing Belgium to replace him with Senne Lammens.
Speaking after the match, Courtois explained how the injury developed.
“It was a bit of a pain, but oh well. On a long ball, I felt something, I thought my hamstring was tight because I’d played 30 long balls. I felt it a little on some saves, and on another long ball, I felt it getting worse. I sat down for a moment so the doctor could check it out, and I wanted to keep playing, but I couldn’t hit the ball, and the manager told me that if I wasn’t 100%, he’d substitute me. I said I felt bad, that I couldn’t play long balls, but I wanted to continue to see how it went. If I didn’t have to play long balls, I could continue, but it’s fine. If the manager wants someone who’s 100%, it’s no big deal.”
The injury is an unwelcome development for Real Madrid, particularly given Courtois’ recent history with muscle problems. The Belgian had only recently put a right quadriceps injury behind him after returning to action in May and had enjoyed an injury-free run until Friday’s setback.
Courtois also suggested he could take a step back from international duty after the World Cup, leaving the door open to a temporary break from Belgium.
“Regarding my future with the national team, we’ll see. I’d perhaps like to take a break from the Nations League, as it’s not the most important thing. And maybe return for the Euro qualifiers. But ultimately, it’s a decision the federation has to make. If not, then perhaps today was my last match.”
Reflecting on Belgium’s elimination, Courtois felt his performance had given his team every chance to remain in the game.
“It’s bad luck that the rebound went to Fabián. In the second half they had more chances. I felt good about the saves, the balls over the top, Lamine’s crosses. I felt it was going to be very difficult to score a second goal against me.”
He also came to the defense of substitute goalkeeper Senne Lammens after his costly error led to Mikel Merino’s goal, urging supporters not to blame his teammate.
“It’s true that the pitch is very dry, it’s bad luck, in the end that’s football, you shouldn’t crucify the guy, he’s a great goalkeeper, he’s had a great season at United and he doesn’t deserve this.”
Real Madrid will now await the results of further medical assessments to determine the severity of Courtois’ injury, hoping the issue proves to be only a minor setback ahead of the new season.