Real Madrid’s Courtois to Miss Clasico With Flu

Real Madrid announced on Sunday that goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois is a last-minute absence for the LaLiga Clásico against Barcelona due to a flu-like illness and will not travel to Spotify Camp Nou. The club statement said Illia Voloshyn has been called up in his place; Andriy Lunin is expected to start. Courtois had started every match this season—all 12 LaLiga and Champions League games, 1,080 minutes—with clean sheets against Málaga and Villarreal. Kickoff is 21:00 local time on matchday 10. Barcelona lead with 27 points from nine wins, six ahead of third-placed Madrid on 21 after seven wins and two defeats; Atlético Madrid sit second on 25 after a 1-0 win at Deportivo. A Madrid loss would widen the gap to nine points. Madrid also miss Vinícius Júnior for the second game of his four-match ban plus Raúl Asencio, Ferland Mendy and Rodrygo to long-term injuries. Barcelona's Dani Olmo is expected to miss about a month with an adductor injury. No return timetable for Courtois was given.