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This content was machine-translated from the French version.
Thiago Pitarch will not wear the Real Madrid jersey before the end of the summer. The 18-year-old midfielder injured his right knee during the first training sessions led by José Mourinho, a sprain of the medial collateral ligament that will keep him off the pitch for about six weeks. The young Spaniard, one of the revelations of last season at the Casa Blanca, pays a high price for a preseason that the club wanted intense but controlled.
A diagnosis that comes at the worst time
The images came back from Valdebebas on July 27: Pitarch grimaces, stops abruptly, leaves the session supported by the medical staff.
The images came back from Valdebebas on July 27: Pitarch grimaces, stops abruptly, leaves the session supported by the medical staff. The tests taken immediately after confirm the injury. Real's medical services have communicated an estimated unavailability of between four and six weeks. The player will not return to competition before mid-September, in the best case.
For an 18-year-old who had convinced Mourinho to integrate him permanently into the professional group after some notable appearances in La Liga last season, the setback is harsh. Preseason is precisely the time when young talents score points against the established hierarchy. Pitarch, for his part, will watch his teammates do it.
A raw talent that was just emerging from the shadows
Trained at La Fábrica, Real Madrid's youth academy, Thiago Pitarch climbed the ranks without fuss. A box-to-box midfielder capable of playing as a holding midfielder, he made a name for himself in the Youth League before catching the eye of Carlo Ancelotti, then Mourinho. Last season, his appearances against Getafe and Mallorca hinted at a player with an impressive engine, technically clean and already comfortable with the tempo of La Liga.
The staff saw him as a natural successor to a generation of midfielders who are no longer in their twenties. Not an absolute urgency, but an option that Mourinho wanted to polish without delay. His versatility — he can cover the number 6 and number 8 positions — made him an asset for a busy season between the league, the Copa del Rey, and the Champions League.
A squad already under tension
This injury adds to another physical issue that occurred in the same days within the Madrid squad. A second player, whose name has not been officially confirmed, cut a session short in the aftermath. Nothing alarming for a squad built for all competitions, but two knocks in the first week of preseason are enough to remind that summer preparation is a risky period.
For Mourinho, the Pitarch case illustrates a familiar dilemma: push the young players to accelerate their progress, at the risk of exposing them physically, or protect them and delay their integration. The Portuguese coach, who appreciates the Madrid kid's work rate and tactical maturity, will have to wait.
The return in sight
Pitarch will not play the prestigious friendlies scheduled for August nor the first matchdays of La Liga. He will also miss the bonding camp that is supposed to unite the 2026-2027 squad. However, the medical staff and the player's entourage insist: at 18, a ligament injury without complications leaves no sequelae. The rehabilitation, already planned, should allow him to return with the same explosiveness as before.
In the meantime, Arda Güler, Jude Bellingham, and the midfield leaders will have to absorb the minutes that Pitarch will not be able to nibble away. For the young midfielder, the first challenge is now between the ears: digest the frustration without rushing, and turn this missed appointment into a springboard for the autumn.
