Dean Huijsen racing to return for El Clásico — rivals scoff at the timeline

Reports claim Dean Huijsen is pushing to be available for El Clásico, but from the rival camp, there’s zero concern. Even if he’s rushed back, match rhythm and decision-making under high press won’t be there. Expect the opposition to target his zone relentlessly, especially in transitional moments and aerial second balls. Fans are split: some demand he starts if fit, others fear another no-show. Our read is simple—optimistic talk won’t beat timelines. Whether he makes the bench or not, the competitive edge swings away from a defender coming off a knock, especially in the season’s most intense fixture.

Madrid-based reporting indicates Dean Huijsen is working to accelerate his recovery to feature in the upcoming El Clásico. The noise emerged in the build-up to the match as defensive injuries and rotations intensify scrutiny on squad depth. While the briefing hints at a late fitness test and a push to rejoin group work, there is no official medical green light yet, and the final call would hinge on the last training session and staff risk assessment. In short, it’s a race against time framed by optimism from within, but the hard metrics of readiness remain unconfirmed.

🚨 Dean Huijsen is trying to be back for El Clásico. @AranchaMOBILE

@MadridXtra

Impact Analysis

From a rival analyst’s lens, the supposed Huijsen return reads more like psychological cushioning than competitive reality. Central defenders coming off muscular or overload-related issues rarely hit match pace within days—especially not for a duel as physically and cognitively demanding as El Clásico. Tactical stressors are unforgiving: constant field tilts, rotations between half-spaces, blind-side runs, and forced isolation in wide channels. Even if Huijsen is nominally fit, the inevitable rust in timing, hip turns, and first-step acceleration will show. We’d bait early one-v-one exchanges, switch the point of attack to force repeated high-intensity actions, and crash the near post to test his body contact and coordination.

Confidence talk aside, data on post-injury re-entry for U23 centre-backs shows a spike in dueling errors and conservative passing for at least 180–270 minutes on return. That’s precisely where El Clásico punishes you. The rival plan is straightforward: press the receiver on his side, pin the full-back, and overload the channel to manufacture indecision. Our projection is the medical optimism is at least 2–3 weeks ahead of the true performance timeline. Even if he makes the squad, he’s a target, not a solution.

Reaction

Fan sentiment is fractured and loud. One camp asks the pragmatic question: if he’s fit, do you start him or hold him as late insurance? Another, clearly agitated by repeated defensive absences, wonders why this team’s backline is constantly depleted—fatigue, mismanagement, or sheer bad luck? A skeptical voice calls out the recurring pattern: “he disappears when needed most,” pointing to the timing of setbacks and thin minutes in big matches. Some supporters cling to optimism, claiming he’ll be “back with a bang,” but that’s belief over evidence in a fixture that exposes any rust.

There’s also tactical distrust toward alternatives—one fan bluntly admits they “like the backup but don’t trust him for El Clásico,” reflecting a crisis of confidence in depth options. Rival fans, predictably, dismiss the entire storyline, calling it a “straight win” even if Huijsen appears. The timeline doubts are widespread; a few insist he won’t make it at all, and the conversation is polluted by off-topic promos that underline how chaotic match-week threads become. Bottom line: the discourse is volatile, leaning skeptical, with pockets of hope anchored more to necessity than hard fitness evidence.

Social reactions

Wow we really need you in that game

Becksen (@ModibouC49406)

He should try hard.. I want him to be part of the sqaud to demolish varca

Priscillia Oduwa🦋💙 (@Oduwaprisie)

He is back with a bang ⚽️👍

KhurramPK 🇵🇰 (@KhurramPak90)

Prediction

Scenario 1: Late bench cameo. Huijsen clears a light session, makes the squad, but is protected. If introduced, it’s sub-15 minutes to close spaces in a low block. Expect conservative angles, minimal risk on the ball, and heavy protection from a screening midfielder. Impact: marginal at best, with rivals targeting set-piece chaos to test him.

Scenario 2: Rushed start backfires. He starts due to a depth crunch. The rival game plan isolates him in repeated wide-to-central transitions, forcing hips to open under speed. Early bookings or a positioning lapse become likely. Substituted around 60–70’ as duels pile up. Outcome: narrative flips from “heroic return” to “why not wait.”

Scenario 3: Doesn’t make it. The most probable in our model. Medical optimism meets risk management; staff hold him out, projecting 2–3 more weeks for full match-readiness. Noise dies down after the clásico, and the team reframes the timeline to “long-term protection,” quietly acknowledging the original target was aspirational.

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Conclusion

Strip away the emotive headlines and you’re left with a simple equation: El Clásico is not a laboratory for half-fit defenders. Huijsen pushing to return is admirable, but the cost-benefit is lopsided. Even a nominally available centre-back can be manipulated in this fixture’s tempo spikes, and rivals will script their patterns to expose any hesitation. Our stance, unapologetically from the opposing side, is that the bullish timeline serves morale, not performance. If he plays, we press him; if he doesn’t, the defensive disruption lingers anyway. The shrewd move is patience, but match-week narratives rarely reward prudence. Expect a cautionary tale, not a comeback arc.