Why is Thibaut Courtois not playing for Real Madrid against Bayern Munich in Champions League quarterfinal 2nd leg?

Real Madrid face an uphill battle if they are to beat Bayern Munich in Germany and reach the Champions League semifinals, made even more difficult by the absence of first-choice goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois due to injury.

What injury does Thibaut Courtois have?

Courtois was diagnosed with a muscle tear in his right thigh in the aftermath of the second leg of Real Madrid’s Champions League round of 16 tie against Manchester City.

The Belgian played the first 45 minutes at the Etihad despite feeling a sharp twinge during warmups. He spoke with the medical staff in the locker room, where the area was quickly assessed and the decision was made for him to start.

In that first half, Courtois produced four top-class saves to keep Real Madrid in control of the tie. However, at halftime, further discussions took place and Real Madrid decided to cut their losses and replace the goalkeeper with Andriy Lunin. With Madrid 4-1 up on aggregate and facing 10 men, the situation allowed for the change.

Courtois return timeline: When will he be back for Real Madrid?

An MRI scan after Courtois returned to Madrid confirmed a thigh muscle tear. The injury is expected to keep him out until sometime in late April.

That puts him in a race against time to be fit for the first leg of a potential Champions League semifinal, which would see Real Madrid travel to Paris Saint-Germain on April 28.

Courtois has missed Madrid’s last four games, including the first leg of the quarterfinal against Bayern. In that time, Real Madrid have dropped crucial points in LaLiga and fallen nine points adrift of leaders Barcelona, and must now attempt an unlikely comeback in Munich to keep their Champions League hopes alive.

In Courtois’ absence, Lunin is again expected to start in goal at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday.

Bayern Munich vs Real Madrid: date, time, how to watch

In the second leg of the Champions League quarterfinals, Bayern and Madrid meet at 3:00 p.m. ET/12 noon PT on Wednesday, April 15. Viewers in the U.S. can watch the game on Paramount+, DAZN USA, TUDN USA, Univisión USA, Univisión NOW and ViX. You can also follow live-text commentary at AS USA.

Get closer to the game! Whether you like your soccer of the European variety or that on this side of the pond, our AS USA app has it all. Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more. Plus, stay updated on NFL, NBA and all other big sports stories as well as the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.

And there’s more: check out our TikTok and Instagram reels for bite-sized visual takes on all the biggest soccer news and insights.