Real Madrid summer arrival no longer a guaranteed starter

Story byReal Madrid summer arrival no longer a guaranteed starterMadrid UniversalSat, December 6, 2025 at 8:21 AM UTC·2 min readDean Huijsen arrived at Real Madrid in the summer and instantly became an established starter for Xabi Alonso for a combination of reasons. While he did indeed earn his place and debut purely out of merit, his situation has been significantly helped by the team’s injury crisis in the department with Alonso not having sufficient backup options for months. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementHuijsen’s quality, needless to say, stood out and created a strong impression that he is truly deserving of a starting spot. Slowly, however, errors crept into his game before an injury kept him out of action and the situation now is completely different. A fresh startAs relayed by MARCA in a recent report, Huijsen suddenly now finds himself in a situation where not many expected him to be even a month ago, for his place as a starter in Real Madrid’s plans is no longer guaranteed. Facing a fight to regain his place. (Photo by Michael Regan/)After all, Eder Militao has recovered from the injury that kept him out since the last international break while Antonio Rudiger is also back at Alonso’s disposal after a long-term setback. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe duo, moreover, started against Girona and then vs Athletic Club and helped the team keep a clean sheet en route to their first league win in four games – making a massive statement in the process. Huijsen is yet to receive the medical all clear after his setback and tests later today will determine his return to action. What is clear, however, is that he will now have to earn back his title as a de facto starter. So far this season, the summer signing has started 11 games for Real Madrid and has averaged over ten defensive actions per game.