Andriy Lunin to Start for Real Madrid in El Clásico as Courtois Ruled Out With Flu

Andriy Lunin will start in goal for Real Madrid in El Clásico against Barcelona after Thibaut Courtois was ruled out just hours before kickoff with flu. Real Madrid’s first-choice goalkeeper was withdrawn on short notice, and the Ukrainian backup is expected to start in his place, according to multiple reports published ahead of the match.

The change is significant: Real Madrid were preparing for one of football’s biggest fixtures — El Clásico against Barcelona — when the news broke that Courtois would not play. FotMob reported the club suffered a huge surprise illness blow just hours before El Clásico, while Yahoo Sports said Real Madrid were rocked by the news of Courtois’s absence ahead of the showdown.

Why is Andriy Lunin starting for Real Madrid?

Andriy Lunin is starting because Thibaut Courtois was ruled out of El Clásico with flu. Sportscape Magazine reported that Courtois is out of the match with illness and that Lunin gets the Real Madrid start. The False 9 reported the same sequence: Courtois out of El Clásico with flu, Lunin expected to start in goal.

For Real Madrid’s planning, this means a late goalkeeper change with almost no time to prepare. The reports do not say whether any other players in the starting XI have changed, or confirm details beyond the goalkeeper position.

What happened in the final hours before kickoff?

The goalkeeper issue surfaced only hours before the match was due to begin. FotMob described it as a huge surprise illness blow arriving just hours before El Clásico, and Yahoo Sports wrote of a Courtois injury blow rocking the club ahead of the match with Barcelona. Taken together, the headlines paint the picture of a last-minute crisis in Real Madrid’s camp.

No specific times are given in the reports — no exact hour of the announcement, no kickoff time, no date for the fixture, and no venue. What is consistent across all five headlines is the essentials: Courtois is out, Lunin is in, and the match is El Clásico against Barcelona.

Could Courtois still feature in this El Clásico?

No — every report treats him as ruled out. Not one headline suggests he will be fit in time, and the goalkeeper change to Lunin was already being reported well in advance of kickoff. The open question is not this match; it is what comes after, given that Goal.com framed the story as Will he return?

That uncertainty matters because Real Madrid now have to manage the Courtois situation alongside the immediate challenge of playing Barcelona. The club’s official line is that he is out with flu; Courtois’s reported pushback means the public version of events may still be adjusted. For now, the operational answer is simple: Lunin starts, Courtois watches from the sidelines.

Has Courtois responded publicly to his absence?

Goal.com reported that Courtois has challenged Real Madrid’s official statement, with the outlet asking, Will he return? The report indicates the goalkeeper is publicly pushing back on the club’s account of his situation even as he sits out El Clásico. The substance of the disagreement is not detailed in the available headlines, nor is any timeline for a potential return given.

Who is Andriy Lunin?

Lunin is a Ukrainian international goalkeeper who has spent his Real Madrid career as the backup to Thibaut Courtois. Before returning as the club’s second-choice keeper, he completed loan spells at several La Liga clubs, most notably Real Betis, where he gained regular first-team experience.

His calling-up here is straightforward: when Courtois cannot play, Lunin is the goalkeeper Real Madrid turn to. That is the situation for El Clásico, where he is now expected to start.

What do we know — and not know — about the El Clásico change?

The table below separates what the headlines confirm from what remains undisclosed.

• Not specified: the match date, venue, kickoff time, and attendance context.
• Not specified: how long Courtois is expected to be out, or the detail of his reported disagreement with the club.
• Not specified: the final outcome of the match or whether Lunin keeps his place afterward.
• Not specified: whether other first-team players joined or left the squad for this game.

Why does Lunin starting matter for El Clásico?

Courtois is Real Madrid’s established first-choice goalkeeper, so his absence by illness hours before kickoff forced a change at the very last moment. For Lunin, it is a chance to play in football’s biggest domestic club fixture. For Real Madrid, it removes their primary option between the posts with no time to adjust — a significant late test for a team preparing for Barcelona.

What happens next depends on two open questions: whether Lunin holds the starting job beyond this fixture, and when Courtois — who reportedly disputes the club’s statement — actually returns. Neither question is answered in the current reports.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is Andriy Lunin starting in goal for Real Madrid?

Thibaut Courtois was ruled out of Real Madrid's El Clásico match against Barcelona after coming down with flu, with the news breaking just hours before kickoff. Backup goalkeeper Andriy Lunin is therefore expected to start in goal, as confirmed by Sportscape Magazine and The False 9.

Is Thibaut Courtois injured or ill ahead of El Clásico?

Reported accounts describe Courtois as out with flu, an illness, with FotMob calling it a surprise illness blow just hours before the match. Yahoo Sports framed it as an injury blow. Either way, Courtois will not play against Barcelona, and Lunin starts in his place.

When will Thibaut Courtois return to Real Madrid action?

No return date has been announced. Goal.com reports Courtois challenged the club's official statement ahead of El Clásico, with headlines asking whether he'll begin again. The public disagreement suggests uncertainty around his timeline, but nothing definitive has been confirmed in the coverage available.

What is Andriy Lunin's role at Real Madrid?

Lunin is a Ukrainian international and Real Madrid's backup goalkeeper, typically second choice behind Thibaut Courtois. A former loan player at La Liga clubs including Real Betis, he steps into the starting XI whenever Courtois is unavailable, exactly as he now does for El Clásico against Barcelona.

What happened in the final hours before Real Madrid vs Barcelona?

Real Madrid were hit by a late illness issue when Courtois was ruled out with flu just hours before kickoff. FotMob described a huge surprise illness blow, and Yahoo Sports said the club was rocked. By the reports' account, Andriy Lunin will start in goal in Courtois's place.