Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has not been diagnosed with anxiety: Official Statement

Real Madrid CF has officially denied that their goalkeeper, Thibaut Courtois, has been diagnosed with anxiety. The club has stated that the Belgian player was unable to complete the UEFA Champions League match against Club Brugge on Tuesday due to acute gastroenteritis.

In an official statement shared on the club's website, they completely shut down reports that have circulated all week which state that Courtois had been struggling with his mental health. Several publications have picked up the story, which suggests that an anxiety attack was to blame for Courtois' unusual departure in the middle of a crucial match.

"At no stage has our player been diagnosed with an alleged anxiety attack and these reports are therefore completely false," read the statement.

Real Madrid was down 2-0 at half-time on Tuesday, when on-loan keeper Alphonse Areola came in to replace the Belgian. Almost immediately after he came in, Areola made a crucial save that prevented the home team from facing an insurmountable 3-0 deficit.

The team was eventually able to bounce back and salvaged a point after the match ended with a 2-2 draw. However, following a 3-0 defeat at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain in their first group stage match, a draw left most of the home fans with a bad taste in the mouth. Against Club Brugge at the Santiago Bernabeu, nothing short of three points was expected. Naturally, everyone was looking for someone to blame.

Courtois became an easy target after having conceded two goals in the first half. The keeper has been facing a lot of pressure in recent months, with many fans lamenting the fact that he had already conceded 81 goals in 58 matches.

The anxiety reports, although false, were not difficult to believe considering the amount of pressure that a professional athlete can face. Being a highly-paid player for arguably the best club in the world is also equivalent to an unimaginable amount of pressure. Nevertheless, Courtois told Spanish publication Marca that "if you want to be a goalkeeper for Real Madrid, you have to accept the pressure."

Courtois has been left out of the Real Madrid squad for Saturday's La Liga match against Granada. However, the club has assured that the player is on the way to recovery. "Thibaut Courtois has been diagnosed and treated for an acute case of gastroenteritis with dehydration and electrolyte imbalance, which meant that he was unable to complete Tuesday night's game against Brugge. The player is currently responding well to treatment," the statement said.