Real Madrid and Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois missed last Friday’s team workout because he is still experiencing some sciatic pain following the recent FIFA break.
He is now listed as questionable for Sunday’s game against Barcelona, making his participation all but certain.
Thibaut Courtois will no longer play after Carlo Ancelotti received confirmation of what he had been suspecting 48 hours before the Clasico.
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The Belgian goalkeeper has been officially ruled out of the game against the Catalans due to an issue that has plagued him since the end of last month.
According to reports from Spain, the player’s participation hinged on how he felt when he woke up on Friday morning because the injury’s recuperation did not proceed as quickly as predicted on Thursday.
In the end, all parties have chosen to be cautious and avoid rushing a recovery that would have unfavorable long-term effects.
Andriy Lunin will step in as Courtois replacement. The team’s chances of securing what would be a critical victory at home against Barcelona could be harmed by Lunin’s lack of experience in games as important as El Clasico and Courtois’ absence.
The Ukrainian goalkeeper has participated in Real Madrid’s previous four games, including wins over Getafe and Osasuna in LaLiga Santander and two Champions League games against Shakhtar Donetsk.
Daily updates on the issue will be made, and he will return to goal for Los Blancos once he is fully healthy. He has been doing daily exercises in the gym and the pool while working with the physiotherapists in Valdebebas thus far.
In midweek, neither side had a strong showing. Real Madrid needed Antonio Rudiger’s incredible late goal to hold off Shakhtar Donetsk for a 1-1 draw, while Barcelona could only manage a 3-3 draw with Inter Milan, leaving their Champions League ambitions on thin ice.
Also read: Xavi: “[The 3-3 draw with Inter] is a very hard blow, it was cruel.”
But as is frequently the case in the El Clasico, form is anticipated to be completely forgotten when the two clubs face off at Santiago Bernabeu.
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