Madrid Head to Pamplona Without Huijsen as Teen Pitarch Gets Another Squad Call-Up
Real Madrid travel to face Osasuna without Dean Huijsen due to injury, while youngster Thiago Pitarch earns another squad inclusion under Arbeloa.
Real Madrid have confirmed their squad for tomorrow’s La Liga trip to Osasuna, and there’s a familiar injury headache — plus a bright young face getting another chance to shine.
The Injury List Keeps Growing
As if the absentee list wasn’t already long enough, Dean Huijsen has been ruled out through injury and misses the trip to El Sadar. He joins a growing queue of unavailable players that already includes Militão, Bellingham, and Rodrygo — so Arbeloa’s options at the back are getting a bit thin, to say the least.
Thiago Pitarch: The Kid’s Alright
The feel-good story of the squad announcement, though, is Thiago Pitarch making the list again. The canterano has had a rapid rise through the ranks under Arbeloa:
- Debuted with the Juvenil A back in January last season
- Got his Castilla call-up in September
- Made his first-team bow in the Champions League against Benfica earlier this week, coming on in the 94th minute for Camavinga
- Now included again for the Osasuna match
Arbeloa has clearly had his eye on this lad for a while, and it’s proper encouraging to see a young academy product getting genuine exposure at this level rather than just being used as a training body.
Could Madrid Repeat the Benfica XI?
With the second leg against Mourinho’s Benfica coming up, there’s a question over how much Arbeloa rotates. The midfield that did the business on Tuesday — built around Güler, Camavinga, Valverde, and Tchouaméni — could well stay intact. But if he fancies freshening things up, there are options:
- Midfield: Ceballos could come in to give someone a rest
- Defence: Carvajal might slot in for Trent at right-back
- Attack: Brahim or Mastantuono could feature if Arbeloa wants to keep Mbappé or Vinicius fresh
The Full Squad
Goalkeepers: Courtois, Lunin, Sergio Mestre
Defenders: Carvajal, Alaba, Trent, Asencio, Carreras, Fran García, Rüdiger, Mendy
Midfielders: Camavinga, Valverde, Tchouaméni, Arda Güler, Ceballos, Thiago Pitarch
Forwards: Vinicius, Mbappé, Gonzalo, Brahim, Mastantuono
Kickoff against Osasuna is at 18:30 tomorrow. A trip to Pamplona is never a straightforward afternoon out, so Madrid will need to be on it — especially with half the squad in the treatment room.