Real Madrid confirm huge fitness boost ahead of Arsenal quarter-final clash

Real Madrid confirm huge fitness boost ahead of Arsenal quarter-final clash

Real Madrid have confirmed goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois is in line to make his return from injury in Tuesday’s Champions League quarter-final first leg against Arsenal.

Courtois has missed Madrid’s last three games across all competitions because of a calf injury, and Carlo Ancelotti’s side were plunged into crisis ahead of the weekend’s defeat to Valencia when backup stopper Andriy Lunin also went down with an injury of his own.

With both his goalkeepers out injured, Ancelotti was forced to hand 19-year-old Fran Gonzalez his senior debut just four days before the trip to Arsenal.

Tuesday’s match will come too soon for Lunin but Courtois has been named in Madrid’s travelling squad and trained with the side before jetting off for London.

The news comes as a huge boost to Madrid, whose defence has already been weakened by an injury to Ferland Mendy and the suspension of stand-in centre-back Aurelien Tchouameni. Dani Carvajal and Eder Militao remain long-term absentees.

Things could have been far worse for Madrid after UEFA opened an investigation into gestures made by Antonio Rudiger, Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior and Dani Ceballos after the last-16 triumph over Atletico Madrid.

Of the quartet, there were significant fears Rudiger could be banned for making a throat-slitting gesture, but UEFA instead opted to hand suspended bans to both Rudiger and Mbappe, who will retain their spot in Madrid’s starting lineup as a result.

Madrid are not alone in their injury woes as Arsenal have lost starting centre-back Gabriel to a season-ending hamstring problem. Jakub Kiwior partnered William Saliba in the Gunners’ 1-1 draw with Everton at the weekend.