Thibaut Courtois declares himself ‘fully fit’ for Real Madrid’s clash at Arsenal

Thibaut Courtois has handed Real Madrid a major injury boost by declaring he is “fully fit” for his side’s Champions League clash against Arsenal.

Former Chelsea goalkeeper Courtois travelled to London but his participation in the opening leg of the quarter-final remained in doubt following his absence for the last three matches with a knee injury.

But speaking on the eve of his side’s match at the Emirates, Courtois said: “I am fully fit and I feel good.

“It was not a big issue so I could train in the gym, and I have been on the pitch for the last day so I feel fine and 100 per cent.”

Carlo Ancelotti was forced to play 19-year-old Fran Gonzalez in Real’s surprise 2-1 LaLiga defeat to Valencia last weekend after Courtois’ deputy, Andriy Lunin, also picked up an injury.

So the return of Courtois will come as welcome news to Ancelotti as he bids to overhaul Arsenal in the last eight and deliver a record-extending 16th European Cup for Madrid.

For Courtois, the Belgium international will be back in familiar surroundings having spent three seasons in London as Chelsea number one before his move to the Bernabeu in 2018.

“I have a lot of respect for Arsenal and a lot of friends who support Arsenal,” said Courtois. “I know they have been doing great and have been close to winning the Premier League.

“They play well, have a young team and a nice blend of experienced players, too. They defend well, press high, are good at the low block and are quick on the counter and have players who can score easily.

“We know it is a team that is hard to break down and can score, too, so I have a lot of respect for them. We have analysed them and we hope to hurt them. But they are doing great, and it is only a matter of time before they win another trophy. But hopefully not in the Champions League this year.”

Mikel Arteta hailed his side’s match at the Emirates on Tuesday night as the biggest of his career so far. The Spaniard has been at Arsenal for five years, and while he has transformed them into Premier League challengers, the 2020 FA Cup remains his sole triumph in charge.

However, Ancelotti said: “He (Arteta) has taken this team to the top of Europe and he is doing a fantastic job and has built a complete team.

“There are not many teams in Europe who are complete. There are lots of teams that do things well, but not many that do so many things as well as Arsenal do.

“They are near the top of the Premier League and are in the quarter-finals of the Champions League. The team is stronger than in the past, and they will be stronger in the future so of course the job he has done has been fantastic.”