Real Madrid No. 1 Thibaut Courtois could be in line to return to action this weekend, after revealing he is recovering well from the bout of flu that kept him out of El Clásico.

Courtois was a surprise absentee for Sunday’s showdown at the Camp Nou, after coming down with illness ahead of the match.

In the end, backup keeper Andriy Lunin stepped into the breach for Los Blancos, making five saves—including a one-handed stop to deny Gerard Martín’s close-range header—in the impressive 2–1 win over Barcelona.

The victory in Courtois’s absence puts Madrid right back in the La Liga title race, with José Mourinho’s men now just three points off Barcelona at the top of the table.

Mourinho singled out Lunin for praise after the match telling reporters the Ukrainian “played a game with great balance and calmness.”

While Real Madrid fared well without Courtois, they may not have to plan for life without him for much longer as the 34-year-old Belgian revealed he is back training with the team and feeling better.

‘Little by Little’—Courtois Training Again

Speaking to El Chiringuito on Wednesday, the player provided a positive update on his recovery and his potential participation against Racing Santander.

“I’m feeling much better now, thank God,” he revealed. “I’m training little by little to recover. There’s still time ahead of Sunday.”

Despite Lunin’s unexpected heroics last weekend, Courtois is likely to regain his starting spot against Racing Santander this weekend as long as he is deemed fit.

The 34-year-old, who now ranks as Madrid’s joint second-longest serving first-team star and one of the locker room leaders, is regularly cited as one of the club’s most important players.

He also has the second-highest save percentage of any goalkeeper in La Liga this season (76.3%) behind only Ionuț Radu of Celta Vigo.

Well-Stocked Madrid Out to Keep Pressure on Barça

Assuming Courtois is flu-free and ready to go for Sunday, Madrid go into match away at newly promoted Racing Santander with few fitness concerns.

Raúl Asencio (tibia), Ferland Mendy (thigh) and Rodrygo (ACL) are all long-term absentees and none have played a minute this season. Otherwise it is only Vinícius Júnior set to miss the trip north as he continues his four-match suspension for the red card received in the team’s 1–0 win over Villarreal earlier this month.

Madrid will be aiming to keep up the pressure on Barcelona this weekend, with the gap at the top now cut down to just three points.

Los Blancos’ match follows Barça’s against Alavés the day before. After this weekend’s round of fixtures, Madrid take on Valencia on Nov. 7—the final game before the November international break and last of Vinícius Jr’s domestic ban.