Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has insisted that he has complete faith in second-choice goalkeeper Andriy Lunin but admitted the Whites could sign an experienced keeper as Thibaut Courtois’ replacement.
First-choice goalkeeper Courtois suffered an Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) tear during a practice session on Thursday (August 10). The Belgian superstar is set to undergo surgery in the next few days and might take up to seven months to recover.
Carlo Ancelotti trusts Real Madrid No. 2 Andriy Lunin
With Courtois ruled out, Lunin remains the only first-team keeper at Ancelotti’s disposal. Speaking to the press on Friday (August 11), ahead of Los Blancos’ La Liga opener against Athletic Bilbao (August 12), Ancelotti declared he had complete faith in Lunin. The Italian said (via ESPN):
“We’ve had an injury to an important player, but that happens in football. Now we hope that Courtois can recover quickly and we give all the confidence in the world to Lunin.
“He’s a great goalkeeper, he’s shown his quality, and we have total confidence in him. We think he’s a talent. What he’s lacking is what everyone lacks when they start out. He lacks experience. He’ll get that game by game.”
Lunin has played only 17 matches in all competitions since joining the club in 2018, conceding 19 goals and keeping four clean sheets.
Ancelotti admits inexperience could compel Madrid to sign a new keeper
Despite showing faith in Lunin, Ancelotti revealed that the club could try to sign an experienced goalkeeper before the transfer window closes on September 1.
The veteran tactician added:
“We have to think about it [signing a new keeper], and we have until [August] 31. After Lunin, we have young keepers like [Lucas] Cañizares and Fran [Gonzalez]. The season is very long. Fran is 17. If we think about signing a keeper it’s about numbers.”
Los Merengues have been linked with a couple of experienced keepers since the Belgian’s unfortunate injury. According to reports, Sevilla keeper Yassine Bounou and former Manchester United star David de Gea are the two top names on their shortlist.
After the match against Bilbao in San Mames on Saturday, Madrid will take on Almeria at the Power Horse Stadium (August 19) and Celta Vigo at the Balaidos Stadium (August 25). The 34-time La Liga champions will make their home debut against Getafe on September 2.
