Madrid, Oct 25 — Real Madrid have suffered a major setback ahead of El Clasico against Barcelona, with goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois ruled out of the La Liga clash due to flu symptoms.
The club confirmed Courtois’ last-minute withdrawal in a statement on its official website, adding that goalkeeper Ilya Voloshyn had joined the squad as his replacement for the match.
“Thibaut Courtois has been confirmed as a last-minute absentee from the Real Madrid versus Barcelona match, scheduled for this Sunday evening as part of the tenth round of the Spanish league, due to suffering from flu symptoms,” the club said.
With Courtois out, Ukraine player Andriy Lunin is now expected to start between the posts for Real Madrid in the high-profile encounter.
Courtois has made 12 appearances across all competitions this season, conceding 14 goals and keeping two clean sheets. His absence comes at a crucial stage of the campaign, with Real Madrid looking to reduce the gap at the top of the La Liga standings.
The Belgian had earlier underlined the importance of responding against Barcelona after Real Madrid suffered defeats in some of their recent encounters with their arch-rivals.
Speaking to DAZN, Courtois said, “It’s an intense rivalry. Over the last few years they have hurt us in some games; now it is time for us to respond. Winning at their ground would send a strong message.”
He also highlighted the quality of players on both sides and stressed that Real Madrid had no problem acknowledging the strengths of their opponents.
“First of all, we have absolutely no problem saying the names of FC Barcelona players; that’s where I think we are different. It’s not a problem for us to praise someone, even if he is our rival. We respect players who are doing a good job, unlike the other side,” he said.
Barcelona head into the contest in strong form, having won their first nine La Liga matches of the season. Hansi Flick’s side lead the standings with 27 points, six clear of third-placed Real Madrid, who have won seven matches but suffered away defeats against Betis and Atletico Madrid.