Thibaut Courtois withdrawn from Belgium squad with minor injury

The Belgium national team has confirmed that goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has been withdrawn from the squad after sustaining a minor injury on international duty.

The 30-year-old was between the sticks for Belgium in Friday’s 3-0 thumping of Sweden courtesy of a Romelu Lukaku hat-trick.

However, the former Chelsea star will miss the subsequent clash against Germany on Tuesday night after being sent back to his club.

Courtois has returned to Real Madrid as a precaution after sustaining a minor adductor strain.

The good news for Los Blancos is that the 30-year-old is not in any major danger and will likely be available for post-international break games against Real Valladolid and Barcelona.

Courtois has been a pivotal figure in Carlo Ancelotti’s side this season, making 32 appearances across all competitions while keeping ten clean sheets.

The Spanish giants cannot afford to lose the experienced goalkeeper, especially at this crucial stage of the season.

Madrid have spent most of the campaign in the shadow of their Spanish counterparts and title rivals Barcelona which has cast doubt over the long-term future of manager Ancelotti.

Los Blancos have lost ground in the race to retain their La Liga crown, with Xavi Hernandez’s side opening up a 12-point lead at the top of the table.

They have already lost the Spanish Super Cup final to Barca and need to muster a comeback to reach the Copa Del Rey final after suffering a 1-0 defeat to the Blaugranas in the first leg.

Courtois will be key to their aspirations, with the crunch tie set to take place at Spotify Camp Nou in two weeks.

However, they will first welcome Valladolid to Santiago Bernabeu at the start of next month, looking to keep pace with the runaway league leaders.