Why is Dean Huisen Not Playing in Olympiacos vs Real Madrid Tonight?

Dean Huijsen has been one of the revelations so far for Real Madrid, with the Spaniard bringing a new dimension to the Los Blancos' defense. The lanky centre back has settled in quite well since his arrival and has put in massive shifts in defense alongside Eder Militao. He proved his worth in the FIFA Club World Cup, where the Los Blancos won every game except the one he didn't play against Paris Saint-Germain.

His ball progression has been exceptional, averaging 5.41 progressive passes per 90 while having 1.39 progressive carries per 90. With a 54% tackle success rate and the 91st percentile of successful interceptions, Huijsen has already established himself as one of the decisive pillars in Xabi Alonso's system. However, there's some recent news that might cause some concern among the Real Madrid fraternity ahead of their match against Olympiacos in the UEFA Champions League. Now the question that comes to Madrid fans is Is Dean Huijsen Playing tonight?

Dean Huijsen to Miss Real Madrid’s Game Against Olympiacos

Fans were eager to watch Dean Huijsen take the field again and do his usual thing. For people questioning ‘Is Dean Huijsen playing tonight against Olympiacos’, well, we have some bad news.

The Spanish centre back has been ruled out of the away trip to Greece due to a muscle overload. The player experienced discomfort in his knee after the match against Elche, and the pain hasn't subsided yet. The medical staff wants no further complications in the player's condition and have taken a decision to keep him back at Valdebebas. This Dean Huijsen injury comes as a shocker, as the centre back had just recovered from a strain a few matchdays back.

Huijsen's unavailability is bad news for Real Madrid, as the Royal Whites are left with just one proper centre back in the form of Raul Asencio. With each one of Antonio Rudiger, Eder Militao, and David Alaba out, Xabi Alonso has a difficult decision to make as to who he will pair Asencio with in the upcoming all-important Olympiacos vs Real Madrid match in the Champions League. Aurelien Tchouameni, who's returning to the squad after recovering from an injury, might be forced to play the role of a makeshift centre back once again to fill in the void left by Huijsen.

When Will Dean Huijsen Return?

As of now, there has been no official confirmation regarding Dean Huijsen's return to action. The centre back is expected to return as late as December, after which he can resume full team training. For more updates regarding Dean Huijsen injury, keep following Sportsdunia!