Huijsen ruled out against Osasuna with calf issue, Benfica return leg in doubt
Dean Huijsen misses Real Madrid's trip to Osasuna with a right calf problem and is a doubt for the Champions League second leg vs Benfica.
Real Madrid’s injury list keeps growing — and now Dean Huijsen has been added to the treatment room ahead of a tricky run of fixtures.
What’s happened?
Huijsen didn’t train in the session before Madrid’s La Liga trip to Osasuna, with the club confirming a muscle problem in his right calf. He’s been ruled out of the match at El Sadar, and his availability for the Champions League second leg against Benfica next Wednesday is genuinely up in the air.
Madrid travel to Pamplona today after wrapping up their afternoon session at Valdebebas — but they’ll be doing so without a fair few familiar faces.
Who else is missing?
Huijsen isn’t alone in the physio room. Confirmed absentees for the Osasuna game also include:
- Éder Militão — still working his way back
- Jude Bellingham — continuing his recovery
- Rodrygo — also not yet fit
That’s a hefty chunk of the squad unavailable, and it’s not exactly ideal timing with the business end of the season creeping up.
A frustrating season for Huijsen
This is the fourth time the young centre-back has been sidelined since the campaign kicked off, which is a right pain considering how much promise he’s shown. Here’s the sorry timeline:
- October — Left soleus injury saw him miss a Spain international call-up
- Shortly after — Returned to action, only to be hit by further muscular discomfort
- Five games missed — Before making it back before the new year
- Most recently — A muscle overload ruled him out of the heavy win over Betis at the Bernabéu
Up until now, Arbeloa had largely been able to count on his defender, but this latest setback is a proper headache. The priority now is getting Huijsen fit for Benfica — the league game is almost a write-off for him at this point.
The bigger picture
Madrid’s injury record this season has been nothing short of a nightmare, and while Huijsen’s calf issue might not be as serious as some of the others, the timing is lousy. A Champions League knockout tie is not the moment you want to be shuffling the pack at centre-back. Fingers crossed he gets the all-clear by midweek.