Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois spotted with knee brace and crutches as he enjoys dinner with wife Mishel Gerzig, pictures emerge
Real Madrid shot-stopper Thibaut Courtois has been out of the public eye since suffering a season-ending knee injury before the start of the 2023-24 season. However, the Belgian goalkeeper has recently appeared publicly at a restaurant in Madrid along with his wife Mishel Gerzig.
Courtois suffered an injury to his Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) in training last month, with the injury requiring him to undergo surgery. The 31-year-old had left the training pitch in tears, leaving manager Carlo Ancelotti with Andriy Lunin as his only senior goalkeeper.
Real Madrid have since signed Kepa Arrizabalaga on loan from Chelsea to replace the Belgian, and have moved on for the season. Courtois, meanwhile, continues to recover from his injury, which will keep him out until the end of the season, at the earliest.
The pictures of Courtois and Gerzig leaving the restaurant were taken by paparazzi on September 16th. Thibaut Courtois had a pair of crutches in his arms to ease his movement and keep his weight off the injured knee. He also had a knee brace in place to keep the knee secured as he moved around.
Thibaut Courtois has been with Israeli model Mishel Gerzig since 2021, three years after he joined Real Madrid. The couple got engaged in 2022 and got married earlier this year.
Real Madrid coping well with Thibaut Courtois absence
Thibaut Courtois has been a regular at the Santiago Bernabeu since joining Los Blancos from Chelsea after the 2018 FIFA World Cup. The former Atletico Madrid goalkeeper's injury came as a huge blow to his side because of his importance to the team over the last few years.
Real Madrid acted quickly to sign Kepa Arrizabalaga from Chelsea on a season-long loan deal, a move that had been planned for six years. They had previously attempted to sign the Spaniard while he was at Athletic Bilbao, only to decide against it. This was before they signed Courtois, eventually.
Los Blancos have been impressive this season despite the absence of Courtois, with the new signing Jude Bellingham playing a huge role. They have won six of their opening seven games this season, conceding just six goals in total.
Thibaut Courtois has continued his rehabilitation at the club's training ground, as he looks to return to action as soon as possible. There may be no need to rush him back if his replacement is doing well enough, and we also may not see the Belgian until the 2024-25 season.