Thibaut Courtois has given Real Madrid a major boost amid the injury crisis, saying he is “fully fit” for his side's upcoming Champions League clash with Arsenal.
Former Chelsea goalkeeper Courtois headed to London but his participation in the first leg of the quarter-final remained uncertain after missing the last three games with a knee injury.
However, ahead of his side's encounter at the Emirates, Courtois said: “I'm fine and I feel great.
“It wasn’t a big problem, so I was able to train in the gym and the day before I trained on the pitch, so I feel great and 100 percent ready.”
Carlo Ancelotti was forced to field 19-year-old Fran Gonzalez in Real Madrid's shock 2-1 defeat to Valencia in La Liga last weekend after his replacement for Courtois, Andriy Lunin, also picked up an injury.
Courtois' return will therefore be welcome news for Ancelotti as he aims to beat Arsenal in the quarter-finals and secure a record 16th European Cup for Real.
As for Courtois, the Belgian international will return to familiar surroundings having spent three seasons in London as Chelsea's first-choice keeper before moving to the Bernabeu in 2018.
“I have a huge amount of respect for Arsenal and the many friends who support this team,” Courtois said. “I know they are doing very well and were close to winning the Premier League title.
“They play well, they have a young team and they also have a good mix of experienced players. They defend well, press high, are good in the low block and are quick to counter-attack and they have players who can score easily.
“We know they are a team that is not easy to break and they can score goals, so I have a lot of respect for them. We have analysed them and we hope to hit them. But they are showing great results and it is only a matter of time before they win another trophy. But hopefully not in the Champions League this year.”
Mikel Arteta described his side's match at the Emirates on Tuesday night as the most important of his career. The Spaniard spent five years at Arsenal and although he turned them into Premier League title contenders, the 2020 FA Cup remains his only achievement as a manager.
However, Ancelotti noted: “He (Arteta) has taken this team to the highest level in Europe, he is doing a fantastic job and has created a complete team.
“There are not many teams in Europe that are fully prepared. There are many teams that are successful, but not many like Arsenal who are doing so many things right.
“They are close to the top of the Premier League and in the quarter-finals of the Champions League. The team is stronger than before and will be even stronger in the future, so of course the job he has done has been great.”
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
