Real Madrid faced a setback ahead of their Champions League clash against Sporting Braga as goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga suffered a muscle injury during the warm-up session on Wednesday.
The Spain international, currently on loan from Chelsea, had to miss the match due to the issue he sustained just before the European clash.
Following scans on Thursday, it was confirmed that Kepa had incurred an abductor muscle injury, sidelining him for a period between two to three weeks, as reported by Sport.
Kepa Arrizabalaga, a pivotal player under Carlo Ancelotti’s management, had been filling in for the injured Thibaut Courtois. He managed six clean sheets in his 13 appearances for the Spanish giants before his injury. In Kepa’s absence, Andriy Lunin, the 24-year-old Ukraine international, took over the goalkeeping duties against Braga. Lunin made an immediate impact by saving a penalty four minutes into the game and continued with three more crucial stops, contributing to Madrid’s 3-0 victory in the Champions League clash.
Speaking about his performance, Lunin said, “It is not easy to enter at the last minute, but you have to be prepared. When it’s your turn, you have to do what you know. There is not much to tell about the penalty. I want to thank the goalkeeping coach for his help. It is a save for both of us.”
Looking ahead, Andriy Lunin will continue to guard the goal for Real Madrid in their upcoming La Liga match against Valencia on Saturday.
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