Real Madrid sweat Huijsen fitness for El Clásico; Militão–Asencio pairing primed

Real Madrid face a fresh defensive headache ahead of El Clásico as reports in Spain indicate uncertainty over Huijsen’s availability. Contingency plans point to a makeshift pairing of Éder Militão alongside academy option Asencio if recovery timelines slip. With Barcelona surging and Lamine Yamal in electric form, Madrid’s back line could be stretched thin on the biggest stage. Fans are split: some urge patience with Huijsen’s return, others fear chaos if the youngster misses out. Either way, the Clásico tactical chessboard just tilted in Barcelona’s favor.

In the build-up to El Clásico, Spanish press reports have flagged Real Madrid’s mounting doubts over Huijsen’s recovery in time for the Barcelona showdown, with Diario AS cited as indicating a fallback plan featuring Éder Militão alongside Castilla option Asencio. The timing is awkward: Barcelona’s attack, buoyed by Lamine Yamal’s form, is peaking just as Madrid’s depth at center-back faces a stress test.

🚨 JUST IN: Real Madrid remain ‘unsure’ if Huijsen will recover in time for Barcelona. Militão - Asencio will start IF not. @diarioas

@MadridXtra

Impact Analysis

If Huijsen is not fit, Real Madrid’s defensive structure takes an immediate hit in both personnel and profiles. Huijsen offers front-foot aggression, progressive passing through pressure, and calm in high-traffic zones—precisely the traits needed against Barcelona’s press-and-pounce transitions. Without him, Madrid likely lean on Éder Militão’s recovery pace and aerial dominance, pairing him with a less-experienced option like Asencio. That introduces two risks: compromised buildup under pressure and communication gaps when tracking diagonal runs from wide-to-half-space, especially on Yamal’s flank.

Tactically, Carlo Ancelotti would be forced to insulate the center-backs. Expect a deeper full-back on Yamal’s side, a screening pivot sitting closer to the line, and more conservative spacing in rest defense. However, this inevitably blunts Madrid’s ability to step high and compress Barcelona’s midfield. The domino effect is clear: reduced counterpressing bite, longer distances for Mbappé/Vinícius transition runs, and heavier reliance on set pieces for high-xG looks.

Psychologically, uncertainty breeds hesitation. Barcelona can target second balls and isolate the less-experienced center-back with rotations from Gündoğan/Pedri and overlap-unders from Cancelo or Balde. If Madrid cannot break lines cleanly, they’ll get trapped in their third more often. Bottom line: even if Madrid manage, the margin for error shrinks drastically without Huijsen’s composure and ball progression.

Reaction

Fan sentiment is a cocktail of anxiety, gallows humor, and tactical resignation. A swath of supporters insists there’s no need to rush Huijsen back, framing El Clásico as just “three points” and arguing long-term fitness must trump short-term bravado. Others are blunt: Madrid’s defense feels “held together by tape,” with predictions of chaos if the youngster misses out.

Barcelona-leaning voices are already licking their lips—“no one to stop Yamal” captures the mood, projecting the teenager as the game’s likely mismatch magnet. Some Madrid fans echo that dread, half-joking they’d “donate a leg” to get Huijsen fit. There’s also confusion over the name “Asencio,” with many asking if that’s truly the plan or a typo; the implication is clear—confidence in a raw Castilla option anchoring a Clásico back line is thin.

Amid the noise, a few optimists insist that regardless of personnel, “great things” await, leaning on the club’s big-game aura and shot-stopping safety net. But the prevailing vibe? A nervy acceptance that if Huijsen sits, Barcelona will test the seams nonstop—especially down Yamal’s corridor.

Social reactions

Asencio against Barcelona?

Manny (@Mannyofweb3_)

Madrid’s defense holding on by tape and prayers at this point😖 the Clásico’s gonna be chaos for them😭

Forex OG 🦅 (@Forex_OG)

She’s scared Hahahaha

John Thomas and 11,000 others (@Ovoh_of_Lagos)

Prediction

If Huijsen is ruled out, expect Ancelotti to minimize exposure: a compact mid-block, the six screening tightly, and rigid rest-defense positions to deny Yamal the inside lane. Madrid could also flip their full-back roles—one high, one low—to protect the weaker center-back channel. On the ball, they’ll prioritize low-risk circulation, inviting Barcelona forward to spring Mbappé/Vinícius into space, and lean heavily on set plays and late-arrival midfield runs for chances.

Barcelona will smell blood. They’ll rotate Yamal and a free eight into the right half-space to isolate the junior partner next to Militão, spam cut-backs, and hunt second balls at the edge of the box. If Madrid weather the first 25 minutes, the game may settle into a slower rhythm favoring transitions; if not, a nervy concession feels likely.

Most probable scenarios: 1) Huijsen benched/not risked, Madrid grind for a 1-1 via counters and Courtois/Lunin heroics; 2) Barcelona strike first, force Madrid to chase, and nick a 2-1. A fully fit Huijsen flips the calculus slightly toward Madrid’s control—but the window for that outcome is closing fast.

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Conclusion

Uncertainty around Huijsen tilts pre-match dynamics toward Barcelona. Madrid still have elite match-winners, but structure matters in Clásicos, and one fragile seam can unravel a game plan. If the fallback is Militão plus an academy option, it’s less about courage and more about risk management: narrower spacing, stricter rest defense, smarter possession cycles, and ruthless set-piece execution.

Barcelona, conversely, will aim to weaponize Yamal’s tempo shifts and the half-space overloads that drag a young center-back into decision traps. The first phase of buildup will decide everything—if Madrid survive the press and hit space early, parity returns; if not, momentum snowballs. Until clarity arrives on Huijsen, prudence says Madrid are one key defender short of true control.