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Real Madrid received a sudden blow a few hours before the kickoff of the El Clasico match against Barcelona, after the absence of Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois was announced due to suffering from flu symptoms, giving Ukrainian Andriy Lunin the opportunity to guard the team's net in one of the toughest matches of the season.
The Royal Club confirmed in an official statement that Courtois was pulled from the match squad at the last moment, with Ilya Voloshin replacing him on the bench.
However, it is certain that Lunin will take charge of the goal during the summit hosted by Barcelona's stadium within the tenth round of the Spanish League.
Although Lunin's participation against Barcelona represents a difficult test, it also carries a positive indicator for Real Madrid; as the Ukrainian goalkeeper has played four previous El Clasico matches against the Catalan rival, in which his team emerged victorious in three encounters, against a single defeat, according to the "Marca" newspaper.
However, the mission will not be easy for Lunin, after conceding eight goals in his four previous matches against Barcelona, at a time when El Clasico comes amidst a struggle for the La Liga leadership.
The importance of the match also increases because it brings together two of the most prominent candidates to win the Ballon d'Or, Lamine Yamal from Barcelona and Kylian Mbappe from Real Madrid, while the Catalan team tops the standings with a six-point lead over third-placed Real Madrid, while Atletico Madrid occupies second place two points behind the leader.
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