El Clásico team news: Courtois ruled out and Barcelona lose Espart

Thibaut Courtois did not make Real Madrid's trip to Barcelona because of a viral infection, then Barcelona lost Xavi Espart to injury before the first half was over. Before the match at the Barcelona vs Real Madrid fixture, this was already an injury bulletin rather than a clean build-up.

Madrid's goalkeeper change

Real Madrid sources told madriduniversal.com that Courtois had "a bad case of the flu" and was "completely wiped out". Foot Mercato reported that he was withdrawn from the squad in the morning before the match at the Spotify Camp Nou, after a brief wait to see whether his condition improved enough for him to travel.

The absence hits Madrid at the top of the pitch. Courtois has made 9 La Liga appearances this season, and his replacement, Andriy Lunin, has at least shown he can handle the job when needed. His recent outing drew a 7.3 rating, which is a decent reference point for Madrid's trust in him.

Barcelona's early defensive setback

Espart asked to be substituted in the 29th minute after a challenge in the first half against Real Madrid. Alejandro Balde came on in the 30th minute, and Barcelona had to adjust their back line almost immediately.

The exact body part being reported varies, with one outlet saying right knee and another saying right ankle. What is not in doubt is the timing. Espart had made 7 La Liga appearances this season before the knock, and Barcelona lost a defender they had been using regularly enough in league rotation.

Madrid's form before the game was strong, with four wins in their last five league matches, while Barcelona arrived with five wins from five. The bigger point is that both sides were already in decent domestic rhythm when this fixture was interrupted by injuries on each bench.

Real Madrid will now lean on Lunin for a match they expected to start with Courtois, while Barcelona will wait to see what comes next for Espart after the early exit.