Chelsea confirm Courtois fit to join Belgium

When Alexis Sánchez clattered into Thibaut Courtis in the early stages of Chelsea's 2-0 win against Arsenal on Sunday, it was easy to fear the worse. And when it appeared as though he was lying on the Stamford Bridge turf with blood oozing from his ear ... well, that was even worse. Which is to say nothing of the trip to and overnight stay at hospital.

To hear that he's fit enough for international duty, then, is a pleasant surprise:

Chelsea Football Club can confirm Thibaut Courtois went to hospital during our Premier League game against Arsenal yesterday [Sunday] for precautionary tests on a head injury. Those tests came back all clear.

Thibaut was treated for a minor cut to his ear and was released from hospital last night. He is expected to report for international duty later this week.

As a Chelsea fan, I am beyond paranoid about head injuries, so I still have a nagging feeling that something's wrong here. That said if he's been cleared by both the club's medical staff and the hospital to go back to playing football, gut feelings are worth less than nothing. Glad to hear that all's well in Courtois land.