Real Madrid superstar goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois is the best in the world in his position, and although Manuel Neuer made an "I'm here" gesture with his insane game against Los Blancos in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinfals, Tibo has had more of those superhuman games than even Neuer both this season and in the past five years.
Courtois, though, has been out injured with a rectus femoris injury he suffered about a month ago in March. The big Belgian is just the latest star player to go down in another injury plagued season for Real Madrid stars as part of a wider problem in world football of over playing games - a problem that Courtois himself addressed and was one of the first to call out.
In any case, Courtois has been tenatively booked for a return to the Real Madrid first team in May, but, all of a sudden, there is a chance that the actual best player on Los Merengues may be able to return sooner than that.
Thibaut Courtois can come back a bit sooner
According to a report from Guillermo Rai and Mario Cortegana of The Athletic, Thibaut Courtois will be set to return for the Champions League semifinals in late April if Real Madrid are able to survive the second leg of their trip to the Allianz Arena on Wednesday night against Bayern Munich after losing the opening stanza 2-1. Cortegana and Rai also confirm that Courtois would be able to pla in El Clasico on May 10, which will be the La Liga title decider if Real can stop hemorraging easy league points and get back within striking distance of their eternal rivals.
As Mallorca and Girona can attest after nicking points off of the Spanish giants, Real Madrid are in a difficult moment right now. Andriy Lunin is a good goalkeeper and probably the best backup you could ever hope for, but he is not a game changer the same way that Courtois is.
The Belgian legend has been badly missed by Madridistas, and with each passing season, the Giraffe only seems to assert himself more and more as the greatest ever goalkeeper in the club's history, even making San Iker Casillas bow down to his name.
Courtois being in play for the Champions League semifinals is an amazing surprise, but now Real Madrid have to go out there and make it count by turning this tide against Bayern. It will not be easy.