Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, who is out this season at Real Madrid due to injuries, will not be part of the Belgium squad for the Euro-2024 contest, coach Domenico Tedesco confirmed this Tuesday (30).
Courtois, 31, suffered a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in early August 2023 and required surgery on his right knee in mid-March 2024 after re-injuring it.
He joined the Real Madrid squad on Monday, which is in Munich for the first leg of the semi-final against Bayern this Tuesday, in the Champions League.
The Madrid team’s coach, Carlo Ancelotti, is counting on Courtois’ return for the next Spanish Championship match, against Cádiz, on Saturday, between the Champions League round-trip matches.
Courtois has had frosty relations with Italian-German coach Domenico Tedesco since June 2023, upset at not being named captain of the ‘Red Devils’ following an injury to Kevin De Bruyne. Against Austria, it was Romelu Lukaku who wore the armband.
The goalkeeper, who left the Belgian national team after that game, announced in December that he was withdrawing from competing in the European Championship due to an injury to his left knee.
“Everything has already been said on this subject. I don’t want to play ping-pong. I’m at peace with myself”, explained Tedesco in an interview with the German press.
By announcing his decision in December, Courtois allowed the Belgian coaching staff to prepare, assured Tedesco. “We are focusing on players who are in good form,” he said on Tuesday.
Source: Gazetaesportiva
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