Thibaut Courtois Out Of El Clasico As Real Madrid Face Barcelona

Late setback for Madrid

Real Madrid will have to play their matchday 10 game against Barcelona without Thibaut Courtois. The 34 year old goalkeeper was ruled out on Sunday due to an unexpected bout of the flu.

The club made an official statement to confirm the news shortly before the game. They stated that Courtois is a last minute withdrawal from the LaLiga match between Real Madrid and Barcelona due to a bout of the flu. Illia Voloshyn was called up to the squad in his place.

This is a heavy blow for the visiting team. Courtois is a key player for Madrid and had been in strong form following the recent international break. He played a major role during the week as Madrid earned a 4-1 win over RB Leipzig in the Champions League. Now, he will miss out on the trip to Camp Nou.

Lunin steps in as pressure mounts

Andriy Lunin will start in goal instead. The 27 year old goalkeeper has been a regular deputy for Courtois in recent seasons. He notably filled in during Madrid's run to the Champions League final in 2024, giving the club a proven option in net.

Madrid face significant pressure heading into this fixture at Camp Nou. They currently trail league leaders Barcelona by six points in the standings. Madrid have already suffered two LaLiga defeats this season, falling on the road against Real Betis and Atletico Madrid.

Barcelona have won all of their league games so far this season. To make matters harder for Madrid, they are also playing without Vinícius Júnior. The forward remains unavailable as he continues to serve a four game domestic ban.

What it means for the next game

Barcelona vs Real Madrid (LaLiga, Sun, 25 Oct): Barcelona win 63%, draw 17%, Real Madrid win 20%; expected goals 2.93 to 1.67. Our safest pick: Over 2.5 goals.

Racing Santander vs Real Madrid (LaLiga, Sun, 01 Nov): Racing Santander win 14%, draw 16%, Real Madrid win 69%; expected goals 1.30 to 2.87. Our safest pick: Real Madrid or Draw.