Real Madrid are visiting Olympiacos tonight at the Karaiskakis Stadium for Matchday 5 of the 2025-26 UEFA Champions League, searching for a victory that would bring them closer to the top positions in the table. Xabi Alonso’s team will pursue the win without their star goalkeeper, Thibaut Courtois, who is unavailable for this contest.
Thibaut Courtois will not be present for the duel against Olympiacos because the goalkeeper suffered a bout of gastroenteritis and did not form part of the squad that traveled to Greece. The Belgian began feeling ill Tuesday morning, which prevented him from training that day, leading Real Madrid to later confirm his status.
“Following the examination carried out today on our player Thibaut Courtois by the Real Madrid Medical Services, he has been diagnosed with a gastrointestinal viral infection. He will not travel to Athens and remains under observation,” Real Madrid explained in an official statement.
As a result, Ukrainian goalkeeper Andriy Lunin is expected to start in goal against Olympiacos, while academy players Fran Gonzalez and Javi Navarro complete the list of keepers for the matchup.
Andriy Lunin during a game with Real Madrid. (Getty Images)
Real Madrid’s defensive concerns
Courtois’s recent absence is compounded by the loss of Dean Huijsen, who, after finishing the last match against Elche with knee discomfort and training indoors, was ultimately not included in the squad list.
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Olympiacos vs Real Madrid: Lineups for Matchday 5 of 2025-26 UEFA Champions League
This creates a major defensive problem for Xabi Alonso, who is already without Antonio Rudiger, Dani Carvajal, Eder Militao, and David Alaba. This leaves Raul Asencio as the only pure center-back available, although Aurelien Tchouameni is recovered from a muscle injury and can fill in at that position.
Also unavailable for the match is Franco Mastantuono, who is dealing with a groin issue. Despite completing the last training session alongside the group, Xabi Alonso and the coaching staff decided not to include him in the list for the match.
