Thibaut Courtois Reportedly Injures Ankle at Chelsea Basketball Promotion

Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois is reportedly set to miss Saturday's FA Cup semi-final clash against Tottenham Hotspur after injuring his ankle in a basketball promotion.

According to the Mirror's Darren Lewis, Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has been left "fuming" by the circumstances of his No. 1's absence, which is now likely to rule him out of the Wembley Stadium clash.

Courtois missed Sunday's 2-0 defeat to Manchester United at Old Trafford for the same reason, with Asmir Begovic deputising. 

After a difficult 2015-16 season—punctured by injury woes and a loss of form—Courtois has rediscovered his best under Conte.

Throughout 2016-17, the Belgium international has been exemplary. Courtois uses his rangy somatotype to full effect between the sticks, regularly marching off his line to pluck crosses out of the air, moving quickly to shut down one-on-ones and consistently clawing opposition shots out of the corners.

Without him, the Blues do not look quite so sure at the back. Indeed, when they faced United, the Chelsea back line was far from steady with Begovic underpinning them.

In fairness to the Bosnia and Herzegovina international, he's proved himself to be a dependable back-up, and from his time with Stoke City, he has plenty of Premier League experience. However, he's not Courtois.

The 24-year-old is rated as one of the best goalkeepers in the game due to his myriad attributes. Conte will be desperate to see him back at the base of the team again as soon as possible, especially with the Premier League title race having tightened significantly.

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