During the time when Real Madrid is getting ready to restart their campaign after the midseason break, all eyes will be on the decision that Carlo Ancelotti makes about his first-choice goalkeeper situation.
Even though Kepa Arrizabalaga was the favored choice earlier in the season due to Thibaut Courtois’s anterior cruciate ligament injury, Andriy Lunin has forced his way back into things after some excellent performances in goal while the Spaniard was out of action.
Ancelotti was using Lunin and Kepa as a backup goalkeeper just before the break, but according to rumors, the Real Madrid manager is aiming to choose a No. 1 goalkeeper from the two options before the season starts.
An immediate decision is on the horizon, and Ancelotti intends to continue using either Lunin or Kepa as the starting goalkeeper for the current and future seasons.
It is Lunin who is leading up.
In addition, the Spanish news outlet MARCA has reported that Lunin is now in the lead to become Real Madrid’s first-choice goalkeeper for the remainder of the season, surpassing Kepa in the competition.
According to the source, Lunin will be the starting goalkeeper for Real Madrid’s match against Mallorca, which will mark the club’s return to play after the holiday break.
Ancelotti’s choice on the starting goalkeeping duties was made easier by the fact that Kepa suffered with a small physical indisposition in the last days of 2023.
Lunin is now the leading candidate to be selected as the starting goalkeeper due to the fact that the Italian coach wanted to put an end to the dispute that was taking place about the starting goalkeeper position.
For the time being, the choice has been made because of the Chelsea loanee’s temporary inability to perform, but the sentiments and evaluations that have been made by the coaching staff indicate that the Ukrainian has assumed the role of the leader.
Lunin’s reaction to his return to the starting lineup after Kepa’s injury has been one that can only be described as good.
There have been no complaints about the performance of the Ukrainian, nor have there been any against Kepa’s attitude, work, or performance; nonetheless, the analysis that has been done internally leans towards Lunin and the control that he is demonstrating over the issue.