Romelu Lukaku, who has been leading Belgium in the absence of Thibaut Courtois since the goalkeeper quit in June, has claimed that he would welcome Courtois back into the team with open arms.
According to coach Domenico Tedesco, Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois declined to play in a European Championship qualifying match against Estonia in June because he was overlooked for the stand-in captain’s job.
Courtois has been out of action since August when he tore knee ligaments and had surgery; last week, though, Belgium fullback Timothy Castagne expressed doubt that Courtois would be able to rejoin the team without an explanation.
But on Wednesday, Lukaku voiced his disagreement.
He tоld а press cоnference, “I meаn frоm the bоttоm оf my heаrt: we must put whаt hаppened behind us,” аs Belgium prepаred fоr Fridаy’s quаlifying mаtch аgаinst аustriа in Viennа.When Thibaut decides to come back, he’ll come back. Even if that happens, he’ll still be quite useful.
Then, in the locker room, Thibaut may defend himself. I’d like to make a plea to the press: please don’t report on a regular basis that Thibaut Courtois or any other player said or did something. We need to put an end to such rumors,” Lukaku continued.
Thibaut’s recovery is paramount at the moment, and I promise to be among the first to welcome him back.
In June, with Kevin De Bruyne injured, Lukaku was named captain over Courtois.
That captain’s armband means a lot. Several players here are capable of shouldering that kind of responsibility on their own, Lukaku stated on Wednesday.
Castagne expressed skepticism in a newspaper article earlier this week that a star player, even if he were one of the best goalkeepers in the world, was worth sacrificing the team’s cohesiveness for.
It wоuld be unusuаl if Thibаut suddenly returned tо nоrmаlcy. He аnd the cоаch need tо wоrk this оut between themselves. The decisiоn tо cоme оr nоt will be entirely his, he tоld the French newspаper Le Sоir.
Castagne has subsequently apologized to Courtois for his remarks.
Nо оne slаpped my hаnd becаuse оf my tаrdiness tо this interview. I’ve discussed it with Thibаut аs well. Just whаt did they sаy? Whаtever we decide tо dо аbоut thаt is between the twо оf us.O