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Real Madrid have never been short on star power. But if you asked Barcelona fans which opponent they'd most want sidelined for Sunday's Clásico, chances are Kylian Mbappé or Jude Bellingham wouldn't be the first names out of their mouths.
Vinícius Júnior was already ruled out due to suspension, and further drama unfolded around Thibaut Courtois on the day of the high-stakes La Liga showdown. It's the Belgian keeper that Barcelona would have been most delighted to see absent from El Clásico, given his reputation as one of the finest goalkeepers on the planet and his history of delivering in marquee matches.
Courtois had featured in every single minute of Madrid's season up to Sunday, but that remarkable run has now come to an end.
Thibaut Courtois's Confusing Status for El Clásico
It initially looked like a major setback for Real Madrid on the morning of the Clásico, as the club released an official statement confirming Courtois would not be available for the fixture.
"Courtois is a late withdrawal from tonight's La Liga match between Real Madrid and Barcelona due to the flu," the club announced. "Illia Voloshyn has been called up to the squad in his place."
Barcelona fans were elated, while those hoping for a competitive La Liga title race were left uneasy. Courtois's absence would make Madrid's already difficult challenge even steeper, and this is a Clásico they simply cannot afford to drop.
The reigning back-to-back champions already hold a six-point advantage over Los Blancos, who find themselves sitting third behind Atlético Madrid. Atléti stretched their domestic winning run to six matches on Saturday and now trail Barça by just two points at the top. Nevertheless, most would argue that José Mourinho's side remain the most credible threat to Barça's dominance — yet a nine-point gap, even this early in the season, would feel nearly impossible to overcome.
Madrid need Courtois, and the Belgian was well aware of that. Despite battling illness, Madrid's first-choice keeper was reportedly determined to make the trip to Catalonia and take his place in goal. Ultimately, the 34-year-old was unable to stage a last-minute recovery and was forced to watch the match from a distance.
Andriy Lunin was drafted in as the backup option. The Ukrainian goalkeeper has shown his worth on various occasions but being thrust into a Clásico debut this season — up against this Barcelona attack — is an enormous challenge to face.
Real Madrid Confirmed Starting XI vs. Barcelona
4-2-3-1: Andriy Lunin; Federico Valverde, Ibrahima Konaté, Dean Huijsen, Marc Cucurella; Aurélien Tchouaméni, Bernardo Silva; Arda Güler, Jude Bellingham, Yan Diomade; Kylian Mbappé.