Real Madrid goalkeeping concern: 19-year-old could make debut three days before Arsenal | OneFootball

Real Madrid could be down to their third-choice goalkeeper this week, with doubts over Andriy Lunin and Thibaut Courtois. Both are nursing injury issues going into a key run of games, with Valencia visiting the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday, and Los Blancos headed to London to face Arsenal at the Emirates in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final on Tuesday.

After making a return to the Belgium national team nearly two years after his spat with Domenico Tedesco, it was a bittersweet return for Courtois, who in the warm-up before the second game against Ukraine suffered muscle injury. He missed their games against Leganes last weekend and Real Sociedad in the Copa del Rey this week, and has been described as a serious doubt for Valencia.

MADRID, 29/03/2025.- El guardameta del Real Madrid Andriy Lunin celebra la victoria tras durante el partido de la jornada 29 de LaLiga que Real Madrid y CD Leganés disputaron este sábado en el estadio Santiago Bernabéu. EFE/Mariscal

Meanwhile Relevo now report that Andriy Lunin is also an injury concern for Los Blancos. They say that Courtois is racing to be back against Arsenal, rather than Valencia, but Lunin also finished their Copa del Rey semi-final on Tuesday with discomfort in his calf. The pain began after the match, and Lunin was not able to play normally on Thursday. While they are confident he will make it against Valencia, the definitive decision will be on Friday.

If the pain continues for Lunin and he is unable to play, then it could lend a debut chance to 19-year-old Fran Gonzalez to make his debut. The teenager is highly rated at Valdebebas, but has never played for Los Blancos. He has played a little over half of Real Madrid Castilla’s games this season, appearing 16 times, conceding 19 goals and keeping three clean sheets. Previously he has been spoken about as a potential long-term successor to Courtois, and Gonzalez has been training with the senior side for the past two seasons. Should he be thrust into the action against Valencia or even Arsenal, it would be far from ideal for Real Madrid though.