Thibaut Courtois had been the picture of consistency this Champions League season. He played every single minute of Real Madrid’s 2025-26 European campaign, which made what happened on March 17 feel particularly cruel.
The Belgian goalkeeper suffered a muscle tear in the rectus femoris of his right quadriceps during the second leg of Real Madrid’s round-of-16 tie against Manchester City. He made it to halftime before being substituted, with Madrid going on to win 2-1 and advance.
Real Madrid confirmed the diagnosis on March 19, putting the recovery timeline at approximately six weeks.
What he’s going to miss
Courtois is expected to miss up to seven matches across all competitions during his absence, with the Bayern Munich quarterfinals sitting at the top of the list.
