Belgium and Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois could miss Euro 2024 next July after suffering a bad knee injury and is likely to spend several months off the pitch, Het Laatste Nieuws (HLN) reports.
Speaking to HLN, Courtois outlined his match prospects and his extended injury, adding that could miss the entire season, including the European Championships in Germany next summer.
“The first day was difficult, I shed a few tears,” Courtois said. “Then I had to make the switch and focus on recuperation. If I’m lucky, I’ll be able to train and play again in May. I would like to play a match before the end of the season, but the first plan is to focus on next season because the most important thing is to avoid a relapse.”
On Sunday, the star Belgian keeper was pictured in crutches alongside fellow Belgian and cycling champion Remco Evenepoel, at the finish line of the Vuelta a España. The two sportspeople exchanged football and cycling jerseys.
Real Madrid player Thibaut Courtois with Remco Evenepoel at the 2023 edition of the 'Vuelta a España', Sunday 17 September 2023. Credit: Belga/ Pep Dalmau
With Euro 2024 beginning on 14 June, and Courtois is hoping for an optimistic return in May, but the keeper now faces a real risk of missing out wearing the no. 1 jersey for Belgium.
Courtois is the first Belgian goalkeeper to achieve 100 appearances for the Belgian National Football team in history. In 2018, he won the FIFA World cup Golden Glove for his role in propelling Belgium to its best ever World Cup result.
