Real Madrid No 1 says goalkeepers “go for the ball” and forwards “don’t hold back either”
Thibaut Courtois has come to the defence of Gianluigi Donnarumma following sharp criticism from Manuel Neuer over the injury that saw Jamal Musiala stretchered off during Bayern Munich’s Club World Cup quarter-final defeat to Paris Saint-Germain.
Musiala suffered a serious ankle injury midway through the first half of the match at the MetLife Stadium, twisting awkwardly in a collision with Donnarumma inside the penalty area.
The incident caused serious emotional reaction from players on both sides, with the 22-year-old midfielder’s leg visibly fractured. After the match, Neuer condemned Donnarumma’s challenge as “reckless” and questioned his judgement in rushing out to claim the loose ball.
“Blaming Donnarumma for Musiala’s injury seems excessive to me,” said Courtois. “Goalkeepers go for the ball. Forwards don’t hold back when they get in our way either. It’s bad luck. It will hurt him more because he’s on his team, but Donnarumma isn’t to blame.”
Musiala is now set for a spell on the sidelines, with Bayern confirming that he will be out for up to five months.
Meanwhile, PSG, who won the match 2-0, move on to face Real Madrid in the semi-final on Wednesday, when Donnarumma and Courtois will feature between the sticks for their respective clubs.
