Drama at Real Madrid: Lunin may also be unavailable against Valencia

The physical condition of Andriy Lunin after the match of the return leg of the Copa del Rey semifinals 2024-25 against Real Sociedad is a cause for concern for Real Madrid. The Ukrainian suffered a soleus injury on Tuesday, around the 50th minute, and although he forced himself to continue on the field until extra time, this decision may have aggravated his muscle problem.

Preliminary reports indicate a small tear in the soleus and the estimated recovery time could extend up to four weeks if a conservative treatment is chosen. However, Madrid and Lunin do not rule out the possibility of the goalkeeper getting an injection in order to be available for the next LaLiga match against Valencia this Saturday, April 5.

This option, while it could allow him to play, carries the risk of worsening the injury, which could prolong his absence in subsequent matches, including the crucial Champions League clash against Arsenal. On Friday, the club will make a decision based on his progress in the coming hours.

Ancelotti forced to rely on youth for Madrid-Valencia

If he does not recover in time, and with Thibaut Courtois also working on his recovery but not yet ready for this match, Real Madrid may turn to Fran González, the young goalkeeper from Castilla, to defend the goal against Valencia. The situation remains uncertain and the club is on high alert due to this crisis in their goalkeeping.

The Belgian has been dealing with discomfort in his right patellar tendon since the international break and did not play the last two matches of La Liga and the Cup. He also does not seem ready for Saturday, forcing Carlo Ancelotti to rely on the youth team. González, 19 years old, has yet to debut with the first team and this season has conceded 19 goals in 16 matches in the Primera RFEF, with 3 clean sheets.