Real Madrid Excludes Lunin from Champions League Opener Squad

José Mourinho will start his first Champions League campaign as Real Madrid head coach without Andriy Lunin. The Ukrainian goalkeeper has been left out of the squad for the opening group-stage clash against Inter Milan after falling ill on the eve of the game.

Lunin missed the team’s training session the day before the squad was announced and is currently on the club’s injured list. He has come down with the flu, and there is no clear timeline yet for his return to action.

Goalkeeper Situation

Mourinho will travel with three goalkeepers. Thibaut Courtois is set to start, with Spaniards Sergio Mestre and Javi Navarro named as his backups. Neither of Courtois’s understudies has played a single minute this season.

Lunin's Performance

Lunin, the first-choice goalkeeper for the Ukrainian national team, had a mixed campaign last season. He featured in 12 matches for Real Madrid, conceding 21 goals and recording just one clean sheet.

The club’s press service confirmed his absence from the squad for the Inter fixture, underlining an early-season setback for a player still fighting to secure a more prominent role in Madrid’s goal.