Real Madrid defender ruled out vs Real Betis, participation in Madrid derby uncertain | OneFootball

Real Madrid will face off against Real Betis later today in their first game of the new year, and will have to do so without the services of Kylian Mbapppe who has been ruled out through injury.

The manager, however, received a second possimistic update yesterday when it came to light that Dean Huijsen was also suffering from discomfort ahead of the game and missed training with the group.

“He was feeling some discomfort, and we wanted to be a little cautious. We’ll decide tomorrow,” he said in his pre-game press conference, transmitting that no decision had been made about the defender’s participation yet.

A worrying update

Now, as relayed by Miguel Angel Diaz in a recent update, Huijsen has been diagnosed with an overload in his rectus muscle and will thus miss the game against Los Verdiblancos later today.

His participation in the league fixture, thus, is ruled out beyond any doubt and the manager will have to look for alternative solutions in the central defence position.

Huijsen’s injury record is getting worrying. (Photo by Mateo Villalba Sanchez/Getty Images)

Further, the journalist adds that the Spaniard’s participation against Atletico Madrid in the semifinal of the Supercopa de Espana also cannot be confirmed at this point and that his recovery will dictate the same.

As it stands, there is thus a strong possibility Huijsen misses out on the upcoming derby clash as well which comes as a major blow to Alonso’s plans.

In Huijsen’s absence, the manager will likely rely on the duo of Raul Asencio and Antonio Rudiger to start and deliver for the team, especially given how Eder Militao continues to be unavailable.

For Real Madrid, however, Huijsen’s constantly fluctuating fitness is not a good sign and serious questions have to be asked about the same. After all, he has already faced three injuries after signing for the club and has missed seven games in total.