Courtois out of the Clásico with flu, Lunin set to start in goal for Real Madrid
Real Madrid confirm Courtois will miss the Clásico at Barcelona with a flu-like illness; Voloshyn is called up and Lunin is expected in goal.
Real Madrid have announced that Belgian goalkeeper Courtois will miss tonight’s game against Barcelona, on Sunday 25 October 2026 in matchday 10 of La Liga, because of a flu-like illness. The club called up Ukrainian goalkeeper Illia Voloshyn, and Lunin is expected to defend the goal, according to ESPN.
What happened?
Real Madrid said on their official website that Courtois is a “last-minute absence” from tonight’s match against Barcelona because of a flu-like illness, and that they have called up Voloshyn in his place. The previous day’s squad list had goalkeepers Courtois, Lunin and Mestre; Voloshyn replaced Courtois in the updated list.
Who will play in goal?
ESPN says Lunin, 27, will take Courtois’s place in the line-up, and Al Jazeera names him as the likely starter. We found no official line-up at the time of writing.
Why does the absence matter?
According to Al Jazeera, it is the first game Courtois has missed this season, after he played the first nine league matches. The same newspaper says he has missed 108 matches through injury since joining the club in 2018 and that this is the third game he misses because of flu or gastroenteritis. We found these figures in one source only.
The situation before the game
Real Madrid enter the game six points behind leaders Barcelona, according to ESPN and Al Jazeera, having lost twice in the league, to Real Betis and Atlético Madrid. Vinícius Júnior is also out, serving a four-game domestic ban, according to ESPN. ESPN also reports that the club have not completely ruled out Courtois joining the squad in Barcelona later if his condition improves significantly; this is not officially confirmed.
ESPN FC on X
What next?
The match is played at Camp Nou this evening. We will add the official line-up and the result as soon as they are released. Kick-off is at 20:00 Morocco time.
Frequently asked questions
Why did Courtois miss the Clásico?
Because of a flu-like illness, according to the club.
Who replaces him?
Illia Voloshyn was called up to the squad, and Lunin is expected to start.
Has Courtois missed games this season?
This is the first game he misses this season, according to Al Jazeera.
Related links
Sources
- Real Madrid official site: Courtois, last-minute absence
- ESPN: Courtois out of Clásico with flu
- ESPN FC / X
- Al Jazeera (ar): A sudden blow for Real Madrid hours before the Clásico
- El Debate (es): Courtois se pierde el Clásico
- Foot Mercato (fr): Courtois forfait
- BeIN Sports (en): Why is Courtois missing El Clásico?
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