Timothy Castagne is not gentle with Thibaut Courtois after the fuss: “Do we want to sacrifice this group of Red Devils for one player?”

Timothy Castagne (27) will soon address the assembled press in the camp of the Red Devils. There is a good chance that the winger will then receive questions about Thibaut Courtois (31). In an interview with ‘Le Soir’, Castagne is not gentle with the Real Madrid goalkeeper.

Courtois is currently out of action with a serious knee injury and is therefore logically absent in Tubize. But no one is 100 percent sure whether he will ever play for the national team again. In June he left the Belgian selection disgruntled because he had not been given the captain’s armband against Austria, claiming a persistent knee injury. Afterwards, a series of fragments of a private conversation between him and national coach Domenico Tedesco were revealed that, according to Courtois, were not truthful. The water between all parties then became even deeper. The national coach was disappointed, the goalkeeper complained about a lack of respect. Immediately after that international match, the association indicated that it was prepared to enter into discussions with Courtois, but then he got injured.

Castagne thinks so. “The national coach has responded well throughout this entire history,” he said The evening. “He showed that something like this is not possible under his watch. How do I look at it? Most players always have minor injuries or pain. We are never really 100 percent. Either it is a real injury and your club forces you to return, or you are able to play. From my point of view, Thibaut could have stayed if Thibaut wanted to, but it was his choice. I’ve talked to other players about it and they see it that way too, but I can’t speak for the whole group. There was a story about the captain’s armband, then the photo of his knee on the plane and then those captain’s armbands at his wedding. He played with the press and we didn’t need that.”

Courtois and Castagne at the World Cup in Qatar. — © REUTERS

Courtois’ attitude clearly frustrated his teammates. A return will therefore not be self-evident.

“It would be strange if Thibaut came back as if nothing had happened,” says Castagne. “The problem between him and the national coach must be resolved. The most important thing is that he recovers from his injury. And if Thibaut doesn’t want to come again after that, that’s his choice. We have Koen Casteels, who is very good, and other goalkeepers behind us. Yes, Thibaut is the best Belgian goalkeeper in the world. But maybe we should ask ourselves: do we want to sacrifice this group for one player?”

Mangala, Castagne and Tielemans already threw their legs loose in the fitness room of the Red Devils on Monday. — © KBVB

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