Big blow for Real Madrid as goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois ruled out of El Clasico with flu

New Delhi: Real Madrid have suffered a big setback ahead of Sunday’s El Clasico against Barcelona, with goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois ruled out of the La Liga clash due to the flu. The 34-year-old is a crucial player for Madrid, but is set to miss the league match at Camp Nou.

Real Madrid are trailing Barcelona by six points in the La Liga table. Andriy Lunin will replace Courtois in goal, who was the regular deputy for the Belgian international in the last few seasons.

“Courtois is a last-minute withdrawal from tonight’s LaLiga matchday 10 game between Real Madrid and Barcelona due to a bout of the flu. Illia Voloshyn has been called up to the squad in his place,” the club said in a brief statement.

His absence is a major concern for Real Madrid ahead of one of their most important matches of the season. With the pressure mounting, the Spanish giants must find a way to overcome the setback, as the result could have significant implications for the La Liga title race.

Dani Olmo will miss the crucial game for Barcelona after suffering a left adductor injury during Tuesday’s 4-2 Champions League loss against Paris Saint-Germain. He was substituted in the 27th minute after a collision with PSG midfielder Vitinha, with Fermin Lopez coming in his place.

Subsequent tests later confirmed the severity of the injury, with Barcelona estimating that the midfielder will be unavailable for around four weeks.

“Tests carried out confirm that Dani Olmo is suffering from an injury to his left adductor muscle. The player is expected to be out for around a month,” Barcelona said.

Olmo’s absence is also a major setback for Barcelona manager Hansi Flick as the club prepares to host their fiercest rivals at Camp Nou on Sunday night.

Predicted starting XIs

Barcelona: García, Espart, Cubarsí, Martín, Cancelo, Rodri, Pedri, Yamal, Fermín, Gordon, Raphinha

Real Madrid: Lunin, Dumfries, Huijsen, Konaté, Cucurella, Tchouameni, Güler, Valverde, Bellingham, Diomande, Mbappé