Real Madrid have made a final decision on Thibaut Courtois’s availability for El Clasico against Barcelona, putting an end to weeks of speculation over the Belgian goalkeeper’s fitness.
The club’s medical staff confirmed on Tuesday that Courtois has fully recovered from the muscle injury he sustained in training on March 15, 2026. The 33-year-old underwent a late fitness test at Valdebebas this morning, and the results cleared him to feature in Sunday’s La Liga showdown at the Santiago Bernabeu.
According to sources inside the Real Madrid dressing room, head coach Carlo Ancelotti has already informed Courtois that he will start between the posts. The decision comes after Andriy Lunin deputised in the last three league matches, keeping two clean sheets in wins over Villarreal and Real Sociedad.
Courtois missed the 2-1 victory against Rayo Vallecano on March 9, 2026, after feeling discomfort in his right hamstring during the warm-up. He was subsequently ruled out of the Champions League round-of-16 second leg against Atletico Madrid on March 12, 2026, which Real Madrid won 3-1 on aggregate.
The former Chelsea man returned to partial training on March 20, 2026, and has completed three full sessions with the squad since the international break. Club doctors have given the green light after assessing his workload in Friday’s closed-door practice.
“Thibaut is ready. He has worked hard to get back, and we trust his experience for a game of this magnitude,” Ancelotti said in his pre-match press conference. “We have not taken any risks. The medical team has been clear, and the player feels confident.”
Real Madrid currently sit second in La Liga, three points behind leaders Barcelona with eight games remaining. Sunday’s Clasico is widely seen as a potential title decider, and Courtois’s return provides a major boost to the home side’s defensive solidity.
The Belgian international has made 22 league appearances this season, conceding 18 goals and keeping 11 clean sheets. His last Clasico appearance came in October 2025, a 2-1 win for Real Madrid at the Bernabeu.
Barcelona, meanwhile, will be without their first-choice goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen, who is sidelined with a back injury. Inaki Pena is expected to start for the visitors.
Kick-off on Sunday is set for 21:00 local time.
