Real Madrid Dealt Big Blow Ahead of El Clasico as Key Player Suffers Injury

• One of Real Madrid's star players has picked up an injury after his heroics in the Champions League
• Los Blancos rose from the ruins, producing an epic second-half display to defeat Borussia Dortmund
• However, their victory on Tuesday night came at a cost, with the said player set to miss the El Clasico

Real Madrid have been dealt a crucial blow ahead of the first instalment of the El Clasico against fierce rivals FC Barcelona.

The Spanish capital club staged yet another memorable comeback in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday night.

Madrid dealt injury blow after UCL comeback win

After orchestrating a thrilling comeback in the Champions League against Borussia Dortmund, they now face the challenge of missing one of their key players.

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Thibaut Courtois, instrumental in Madrid's 5-2 victory over Dortmund, produced a string of crucial saves to keep his team alive during the match.

Despite Vinicius Junior grabbing the spotlight with a hat-trick, Courtois' performance was pivotal, pulling off five saves—three of which came at point-blank range, as reported by Sofascore.

Courtois picks up injury ahead of El Clasico

However, the Belgian’s stellar display came with a price.

According to Fabrizio Romano, Courtois sustained a muscle injury, which is expected to rule him out of Saturday’s El Clasico at the Santiago Bernabeu.

The 32-year-old’s absence will be a significant blow, especially considering his struggles with injuries over the past year.

Courtois' injury history

Last season, Courtois was sidelined for 48 matches due to a cruciate ligament and meniscus tear, per Transfermarkt, and this campaign has already seen him miss two games.

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Who will deputise in Courtois' absence?

Despite Courtois' absence, Carlo Ancelotti’s side may not be overly concerned, thanks to the solid performances of Andriy Lunin.

The Ukrainian shot-stopper has proven himself to be a reliable stand-in, keeping 10 clean sheets in 17 La Liga appearances last season.

Lunin’s contributions were also crucial to Madrid’s domestic and European triumphs last term, giving Madrid hope that they can navigate Courtois' injury with minimal disruption.

Madrid's injury list grows

Courtois' injury compounds Real Madrid's growing injury list.

In addition, defender Dani Carvajal was stretchered off in visible pain during their 2-0 win over Villarreal earlier this month.

The experienced full-back suffered the injury in stoppage time following a collision with Yeremy Pino, raising immediate concerns.

Fans praise Madrid after stunning comeback

Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that Real Madrid caused a social media frenzy after their stunning 5-2 comeback victory over Dortmund.

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Carlo Ancelotti's team, down 2-0 at halftime, responded with five goals in the second half, turning the match around.

The extraordinary turnaround left fans marvelling at Madrid's remarkable resilience on European nights.

Source: YEN.com.gh