Huijsen Withdraws from Georgia Match Due to Muscle Discomfort

Dean Huijsen will not be available for Luis de la Fuente this afternoon for the match against Georgia, and his participation on Tuesday against Turkey is also in serious doubt. The centre-back experienced muscle discomfort during the training session held by La Roja on Friday at the Boris Paitchadze National Stadium in Tbilisi and was one of the three players left out by the coach for the penultimate match in the 2026 World Cup qualifying phase, alongside Jorge de Frutos and Samu Aghehowa. He will undergo tests to determine the extent of his injury, although it is most likely that he will leave the squad to return to Madrid.

Huijsen's absence is a significant setback for De la Fuente, who had relied on the Malaga-born player in all of Spain's matches since his debut with La Roja last March in Rotterdam, except for the two in October, which the Real Madrid defender missed due to injury. As it stands, the coach from Haro is left with Aymeric Laporte, Dani Vivian, and Pau Cubarsí as the only available centre-backs against Georgia.

The primary rule within the national team is to take no risks with the players, a principle that was adhered to in the case of Lamine Yamal and will be followed with Huijsen if tests reveal a physical issue that advises rest for the player.

Huijsen has only missed three matches this season with Real Madrid, two due to the aforementioned injury that prevented him from joining the Spanish national team in October and another due to suspension following a controversial red card in the match against Real Sociedad in the fourth round of La Liga. With Spain, he has earned a total of six caps at the age of 20 and is one of the leading candidates to be present at next year's World Cup despite the stiff competition for the position from players like Laporte, Vivian, Cubarsí, or Robin Le Normand, who is absent from this call-up due to injury.