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Rodrygo was substituted in the 85th minute in Real Madrid's 5-2 comeback victory over Borussia Dortmund in Tuesday's Champions League clash while Courtois played the full 90 minutes.
Real Madrid have suffered a major setback ahead of their crucial clash with Barcelona on Saturday, as key forward Rodrygo and main goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois will miss the highly anticipated El Clasico due to injury.
The news was confirmed by Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano on Wednesday, October 23 who revealed via a tweet that the Brazilian forward and the Belgian shot stopper will be unavailable for the derby following medical tests.
"Rodrygo has suffered an injury as tests have confirmed today, he will NOT be available for El Clásico," read Romano’s post on X (formerly Twitter).
"Thibaut Courtois has suffered a muscle injury and he’s expected to miss El Clasico," read a separate post.
The duo played in Real Madrid’s thrilling 5-2 comeback victory over Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League on Tuesday.
The Brazilian was substituted in the 85th minute in what initially appeared to be a routine change, but reports have since emerged indicating that the substitution may have been due to the injury that will now see him sidelined for Saturday’s pivotal fixture.
The full extent of Rodrygo’s injury has not yet been confirmed, leaving Real Madrid fans anxious about his return to action.
The forward has been an important player for Los Blancos this season, ranking fourth in the club’s goal-scoring charts with three goals, trailing Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe, who are tied for first with eight goals each.
Rodrygo’s absence will undoubtedly be a blow to Madrid’s attack, which has relied on the Brazilian's creativity and versatility in key matches.
Courtois' absence is a double-blow for the Los Blanco who have depend on the Belgian to come to their rescue multiple times this season.
The Belgian has feature for Madrid in goal 9 times this season in league action and twice in the champions league keeping 4 clean sheets in total.
The duo's injury comes at a crucial time, as Real Madrid look to continue their strong domestic form and assert dominance over their arch-rivals, Barcelona, in one of the most significant fixtures of the season.
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Despite Rodrygo’s and Courtois' absence, Madrid will take confidence from their recent performances, including the Dortmund victory, where a Vinicius Junior hat-trick and goals from Lucas Vazquez and Antonio Rudiger powered them to a second-half comeback after being two goals down.
A win could see Real Madrid who currently places 2nd in La Liga, with 24 point match the tally of Barcelona who have accrued 27 points and place at the summit.
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