Thibaut Courtois and Dean Huijsen missing Real Madrid squad against Olympiacos
Real Madrid were handed a double blow ahead of their Champions League trip to Olympiacos, with the club confirming that goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and centre-back Dean Huijsen have been ruled out of Wednesday’s game.
The 33-year-old Belgian, a first-choice keeper for Madrid, has been diagnosed with a viral gastrointestinal infection. Real Madrid’s medical team confirmed that Courtois will miss the trip to Athens and his condition will be monitored ahead of the upcoming La Liga clash against Girona.
Courtois did not participate in training at Valdebebas on Tuesday and left the session early, leaving Andriy Lunin poised to start in goal. Lunin, who has been largely out of favor under coach Xabi Alonso, could see this fixture as an opportunity to showcase his abilities.
Lunin joined Real Madrid from Zorya Luhansk in 2018 and has previously filled in during Courtois’ injury absences. Notably, he played a crucial role in the 2023-24 season, helping Madrid progress in the Champions League with standout performances, including penalty shootout heroics at Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium.
Alonso has emphasized the importance of Lunin staying prepared:
“Lunin must always be prepared because there can always be contingencies. We have a great goalkeeper with Thibaut, but Andriy is also very capable.”
Centre-back Dean Huijsen also missed training and will not travel to Greece. He joins Antonio Rudiger, David Alaba, and Eder Militao on the sidelines, leaving Real Madrid short of first-team defenders.
Coach Alonso may turn to Raul Asencio and left-sided centre-back Alvaro Carreras to fill the gap. Additionally, Real Madrid Castilla talents Mario Rivas and Diego Aguado could be considered for inclusion, with Aguado already making his first-team debut under Carlo Ancelotti last season.
Real Madrid face a challenging encounter against Olympiacos at the Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium, navigating both injuries and squad rotation. The absences of Courtois and Huijsen will test Alonso’s tactical flexibility and depth in defence, making Wednesday’s match a crucial test for the reigning Spanish and European champions.
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