Courtois already working on his recovery

Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois began his recovery on Friday from the torn internal meniscus in his right knee, which he underwent surgery for on Wednesday and which will keep him out for the next two months, meaning he will miss the whole season. The injury came in the final stretch of his recovery from the rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee, which he suffered on 10 August.

On Tuesday, training on the pitch at the Ciudad Deportiva Real Madrid, Courtois noticed a crunch in what was his healthy knee and left the pitch in tears before a new knee injury was confirmed. Another setback just when, after seven months on the sidelines, he was beginning to glimpse his comeback.

He will have to start again, although with fewer months on the sidelines. And with the mentality of overcoming a "small setback", as he defined the new injury, Courtois returned to Valdebebas, to the Ciudad Deportiva Real Madrid, to work on his recovery.

So did Brazil's Eder Militao, who, barring a setback, will be able to return after the international break after completing his recovery from a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee suffered on 12 August, two days after Courtois, and Austria's David Alaba, who in December became the third player to join the knee injury list.

Three absentees in addition to Dani Ceballos, who trained in the gym still recovering from a calf strain suffered a week ago, and the 14 internationals Dani Carvajal and Joselu (Spain), Brahim Diaz (Morocco), Antonio Rudiger and Toni Kroos (Germany), Eduardo Camavinga and Aurelien Tchouameni (France), Jude Bellingham (England), Luka Modric (Croatia), Arda Gomez (France) and Arda Gomez (Croatia), Antonio Rudiger and Toni Kroos (Germany), Eduardo Camavinga and Aurelien Tchouameni (France), Jude Bellingham (England), Luka Modric (Croatia), Arda Guler (Turkey), Fede Valverde (Uruguay), Andry Lunin (Ukraine), Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo Goes (Brazil); The list of absentees for Carlo Ancelotti as they are in training with their national teams.

There were few players available for Ancelotti in the fourth session of the week, in which physical work was the main focus. The training session began with work in the gym and then the available players carried out different muscle-strengthening series, while the goalkeepers carried out specific work. Afterwards, Ancelotti programmed work on ball circulation and pressure to finish with shots on goal, according to the club's website.

Real Madrid continue to work at Valdebebas with the next game on their schedule for 31 March, when Athletic Club visit the Santiago Bernabeu stadium (21:00 CET, -1 GMT).