Thibaut Courtois
Photo by Musiu0 - Depositphotos

Real Madrid have been dealt a dramatic late blow on the morning of El Clásico, with undisputed first-choice goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois officially ruled out of the squad after being struck down by the flu.

Manager José Mourinho has called up 19-year-old Ukrainian prospect Illia Voloshyn to fill the vacant spot in the matchday squad. With Courtois sidelined, Andriy Lunin will take his place between the posts for the headline showdown at the Camp Nou—marking the Ukrainian international’s first competitive appearance of the season after Courtois had started every single fixture to date.

Illness has disrupted the Belgian shot-stopper's availability before. This marks the third separate occasion Courtois has missed a fixture due to flu or gastroenteritis, having previously been sidelined in November of last season and in early 2023, alongside an earlier gastrointestinal issue in 2019.

The crucial clash kicks off tonight at the Camp Nou at 21:00 CET.