Courtois: the sooner the better

After an vain attempt a few years ago, Madrid have signed one of the finest young keepers around over the past six seasons, and for a fair price at that. However, the move begs the question: Can a keeper who is at the peak of his powers come in and be a substitute? No. Lopetegui knows it and Keylor knows it, but the decision is down to the coach and, for the moment, he has opted to give the Costa Rican keeper the recognition and value his career deserves. He has avoided sending him directly to the bench to show Courtois that he will have to fight for his starting berth.   

Yet Courtois has not come here to win his place - his age and performances have already ensured him that - not to mention that he's an investment for the future. Keylor is a seasoned keeper who is toughened to difficult situations and with a CV that grants him the authority to stand up to make the shirt his if he wishes, but that's why Lopetegui should put Courtois into the starting line-up, to avoid anything from stagnating or souring. For Spain, he removed a similar problem in one fell swoop as he stopped calling up Casillas; in this instance, he doesn't have the same option and must make a bold decision, despite the dour faces in the dugout. We'll see.