Why Thibaut Courtois is out of Olympiacos vs Real Madrid in the Champions League as a mini crisis unfolds

Real Madrid’s Tuesday training session at Valdebebas delivered more problems than solutions before the team boards its early afternoon flight to Greece. Thibaut Courtois will miss Wednesday’s Champions League matchup against Olympiacos after leaving the Ciudad Real Madrid facility with a bout of gastroenteritis that prevented him from taking part in the session. He was not on the flight to Athens.

Lunin finally gets his chance

Courtois’ absence opens the door for Andriy Lunin, who has yet to log a single minute this season. His first opportunity was expected to come during Real Madrid’s Copa del Rey opener on Dec. 17, although circumstances have accelerated the timetable. Youth goalkeepers Fran Gonzalez and Javi Navarro trained with the squad and will also travel to Greece. All four keepers are registered for the Champions League roster.

Huijsen and Mastantuono also miss Greece trip

Dean Huijsen also misses out after finishing last weekend’s match against Elche with discomfort. He did not train with the group Tuesday, which effectively ended his hopes of playing in Athens. Franco Mastantuono did train with the team after a recent fitness issue but wasn’t included on the travel list either.

Real Madrid injury report: Tchouaméni, Rüdiger, Militão, Carvajal

Aurélien Tchouaméni and Antonio Rüdiger also unexpectedly missed Tuesday’s session. The Frenchman has been deemed fit to play on Wednesday, but the German has stayed in Madrid. As anticipated, Eder Militao and Dani Carvajal remain out while they continue their respective recoveries.

Real Madrid is dealing with a long list of question marks, and clarity will only come when the club releases its official traveling squad before the team heads to the airport.

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