Real Madrid Hit by Fresh Injury Crisis as Seven Stars Ruled Out of Crucial Champions League Battle
Real Madrid's goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and defender Dean Huijsen have been ruled out of Wednesday's Champions League encounter against Olympiacos.
The Madrid club announced that Courtois is suffering from a stomach virus and won't travel to Greece—Andriy Lunin is expected to make his first appearance of the campaign with the Belgian unavailable.
Huijsen's absence is more uncertain. Real Madrid didn't provide details about why the Spanish defender was excluded from Xabi Alonso's traveling party, but he was absent from Tuesday's training session and will remain in Madrid for additional medical examinations, according to The Athletic.
The 20-year-old had to pull out of national team duties last week because of muscular issues, yet he completed the full match in Real Madrid's 2–2 stalemate with Elche on Sunday, netting his debut goal in the famous white jersey.
Now, Los Blancos face concerns about the former Bournemouth player's availability with fixtures against Girona, Athletic Club, Celta Vigo and Manchester City scheduled over the following fortnight.
Injuries Wreaking Havoc on Real Madrid
Huijsen's addition to the treatment room arrives at an especially difficult moment for Real Madrid. With Éder Militão, Antonio Rüdiger and David Alaba already sidelined, Alonso now has only one fit center-back available for the club's Champions League meeting with Olympiacos on Wednesday night: Raúl Asencio.
Even makeshift defender Dani Carvajal is also injured, potentially forcing Alonso to field natural midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni next to Asencio. Álvaro Carreras or Ferland Mendy could also be considered, although the French player hasn't featured since April.
Beyond the defensive personnel shortage, Los Blancos are also missing Franco Mastantuono, who continues recovering from a groin problem. Including the ill Courtois, Alonso is without seven squad members for the journey to Greece.
Despite missing so many regular starters, the former Bayer Leverkusen manager will be expected to guide Real Madrid back to victory; the 15-time European champions have failed to win their previous three outings, increasing pressure on Alonso—who faced criticism for questionable tactical choices against Elche—to discover answers.