Thibaut Courtois has missed Real Madrid’s Champions League match against Bayern Munich as a result of a thigh injury.
The Belgium international was forced off at half time during Madrid’s 2-1 win against Manchester City within the Champions League last-16 on the Etihad Stadium last month.
Courtois subsequently missed Madrid’s 3-2 win over Atletico Madrid in La Liga, in addition to their 2-1 defeat away to Mallorca last Saturday.
Andriy Lunin has deputised for Madrid in Courtois’ absence and has been handed his third start in a row for the primary leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie against Bayern Munich on Tuesday night.
After suffering his injury within the victory against City on March 17, Courtois was ruled out for around six weeks.
An announcement from Madrid read: ‘Following tests carried out today on our player Thibaut Courtois by the Real Madrid Medical Services, he has been diagnosed with a muscle injury within the rectus femoris of his right quadriceps. His recovery will likely be monitored.’
Meanwhile, Alvaro Arbeloa insists he has the ‘utmost confidence’ in Lunin’s ability to exchange Courtois.
‘We haven’t set any deadlines,’ Arbeloa said before Madrid’s win over Atletico when asked about Courtois’ return from injury.
‘The 2-week break will help us so much, and we’ll see after that. Right away, we’re not setting a deadline.
‘There are risks involved each time I put a player on the sector. There are numerous things people don’t know, but few players go onto the sector at 100 per cent with none discomfort. It’s normal in competition.
‘Thibaut desired to keep playing at half-time, and it was me who decided to stop him due to the utmost confidence I actually have in Lunin. He’s an important goalkeeper, and he’s going to prove it. Here, the very best goalkeeper in history gets injured, and we’ve one other one.’
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