REAL MADRID LOSE COURTOIS TO ILLNESS AHEAD OF BARCELONA SHOWDOWN

Real Madrid will face Barcelona without Thibaut Courtois after the goalkeeper withdrew from Sunday’s El Clásico with flu-like symptoms.

The Belgian had been named in the squad, but his late illness forced Madrid to revise their goalkeeping options before the trip to Camp Nou.

Illia Voloshyn has been called up as his replacement, alongside Andriy Lunin and Sergio Mestre.

Lunin is now expected to take the starting role, though the club had not confirmed its match-day line-up when announcing Courtois’s absence.

The development presents manager José Mourinho with an unexpected adjustment ahead of the high-profile La Liga encounter.

Madrid have not provided a date for Courtois’s return or said whether he could miss further matches.