Real Madrid dealt huge setback as key player ruled out of El Clasico

Real Madrid dealt huge setback as key player ruled out of El Clasico Following their wins against Villarreal, AS Roma, Sevilla, and RB Leipzig, Real Madrid are set to face one of the toughest challenges of this season tonight, as they will play against FC Barcelona at the Spotify Camp Nou . With the Blaugranes’ loss to Paris Saint-Germain in their last game and the Merengues’ own good recent form, there is great optimism among Real Madrid fans that their team will be able to get a result from tonight’s game. However, a few hours before kick-off, there has been a piece of very bad news for these fans. As MARCA has reported, Real Madrid have officially confirmed that the goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois will not be available for the game against Barcelona because of a flu-like illness. Thus, Andriy Lunin is the most likely candidate to protect the Los Blancos goal in this game. This will be the first time the Ukrainian plays in a competitive game since May, when he played against Espanyol. Meanwhile, the Real Madrid C goalkeeper Illia Voloshyn has been called up to replace the Belgian veteran in the squad. There is no doubt that this is a significant blow for the Merengues, as Courtois is not only their insurance in goal, but also one of the leaders in the dressing room. However, Los Blancos have been forced to play without him several times, as he has missed a total of 108 games due to injuries and minor problems, like today’s, since signing for Real Madrid back in 2018. The match against Barcelona will be the first game he misses this season, and his illness could not have come at a worse time for Los Blancos. Hopefully, Andriy Lunin will be able to hold the fort in his absence, and ensure the team does not concede any goals at the hands of their bitter rivals.