Real Madrid star rules himself out of Champions League final
Real Madrid goalkeeper Andriy Lunin has ruled himself out of Saturday’s Champions League final against Borussia Dortmund after not travelling to London with the rest of the squad.
Lunin has been a standout performer this season since getting an unexpected chance when Thibaut Courtois suffered a long-term injury back in August. But he had been a doubt for the final all week.
The Ukrainian, who has recently relinquished his La Liga place to the fit-again Courtois but kept the gloves in both legs of the Champions League semi-final win over Bayern Munich, missed training on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday due to being struck down with flu.
The Madrid squad boarded a flight to England on Thursday without Lunin. Marca reported that the goalkeeper, seen as contagion risk, had instead been expected to travel alone on Friday or even the day of the game. But the likelihood of actually playing in such a scenario was always slim and he seemed to confirm in an Instagram post on Thursday evening that he has lost that battle.
„I’m so sorry I can’t prepare [for] the game with the most important team of the season and the most important in my life,“ Lunin told his 3.3m followers.
Courtois‘ first Champions League appearance of the season could be the final that lands him his second European title.
Goalkeepers: Thibaut Courtois, Andriy Lunin, Kepa Arrizabalaga, Fran Gonzalez
Defenders: Dani Carvajal, Eder Militao, David Alaba, Nacho, Lucas Vazquez, Fran Garcia, Antonio Rudiger, Ferland Mendy
Midfielders: Jude Bellingham, Toni Kroos, Luka Modric, Eduardo Camavinga, Federico Valverde, Aurelien Tchouameni, Dani Ceballos, Arda Guler, Mario Martin
Forwards: Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo, Joselu, Brahim Diaz