Real Madrid faces a significant blow as Thibaut Courtois will miss approximately six weeks with a thigh injury suffered during Tuesday's Champions League victory over Manchester City. The Belgian goalkeeper was replaced by Andriy Lunin in the second half, though his team still advanced comfortably with Vinícius Júnior's two goals securing a 5-1 aggregate victory.

Courtois' absence creates major challenges for Carlo Ancelotti's side, who will be without their talismanic keeper for Sunday's Madrid derby against Atlético and both legs of the crucial Champions League quarterfinal against Bayern Munich. Should the recovery timeline hold, Real will miss seven games across all competitions with Andriy Lunin expected to deputize.

The injury compounds Real's title pursuit, sitting four points behind Barcelona in LaLiga with El Clásico scheduled for May 10. Medical tests confirmed a muscle injury to Courtois' right quadriceps, with recovery to be closely monitored. Meanwhile, Barcelona's Joan García overcame a brief scare during their 7-2 win over Newcastle and remains available for selection.