Real Madrid suffer key injury blow days before Champions League showdown against Atletico Madrid | OneFootball

Real Madrid will be without multiple key players for their La Liga clash against Rayo Vallecano at the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday afternoon. Antonio Rudiger has not been risked by head coach Carlo Ancelotti after he came down with a bout of flu earlier in the weekend, and now Thibaut Courtois has fallen too.

Courtois, who has been an undisputed starter in La Liga, has not been included in the matchday squad to face Rayo, which was confirmed by Real Madrid on Sunday morning. As per Diario AS, he is struggling with slight discomfort in his right patellar, and as a result, Ancelotti has taken the decision not to risk him.

It means that Andriy Lunin, who has been counted upon by Ancelotti in the Copa del Rey, is given a rare start in La Liga. The Ukrainian goalkeeper will make his fourth league appearance of the season, and he has kept clean sheets in two of the previous three – the other was a certain 4-0 defeat to Barcelona at the Bernabeu.

Andriy Lunin will start against Rayo Vallecano (Photo by Les Transferts)

The good news for Real Madrid is that Courtois’ issue is very minor, and he will be available to face Atletico Madrid in the second leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie at the Metropolitano on Wednesday. Rudiger will also be available, as he has already recovered from illness, but Ancelotti has decided that he would rather not utilise him against Rayo.

Federico Valverde is another Real Madrid player that has been struggling with physical problems, but he has been included in the matchday squad to face Rayo. However, the expectation is that he will not be included in the starting line-up at right-back or in midfield, with Lucas Vazquez and Luka Modric likely to be the players that are called upon by Ancelotti.