Real Madrid are delighted with how the season has gone so far, but they do find themselves in a rather strange situation with the goalkeeper position. After Thibaut Courtois was ruled out for most of the season, many considered it a settled issue when Kepa Arrizabalaga came in on loan from Chelsea. Midway through the season though, they have no settled number one.
After Kepa picked up an injury in October, Andriy Lunin proved Carlo Ancelotti wrong about his doubts with a series of impressive performances, and since Kepa has returned to fitness, the pair have shared minutes. Kepa started in the Copa del Rey against Arandina, but Lunin continued in La Liga after the break against Real Mallorca.
Marca say that were is a La Liga match, then Lunin would almost certainly be in goal against Atletico Madrid on Wednesday night, but as it is a Spanish Supercup tie, there is a chance Kepa is given a shot. The Italian manager was not forthcoming on Tuesday about the issue, and it is believed that Ancelotti is yet to make a clear decision on the two. However the report does mention that at the moment, Lunin has a slight edge due to his good performances of late.
Either way, for Real Madrid, this spell will be a blessing in disguise. They will be able to evaluate if Kepa is worth trying to buy outright next summer, while Lunin, who has 18 months left on his deal, can either prove his value to Real Madrid, or increase his resale value on the market. Both are in form, and how the pair handle it when they are not playing as well remains to be seen.
