Militão’s return raises questions about the future at Real Madrid

Arbeloa praised Militão ahead of Real Madrid’s match against Mallorca, saying: “When he’s fully fit, he’s the best defender in the world.”

He added: “I haven’t had the chance to play him yet, but we’ve been enjoying having him at Real Madrid for years. You often feel as though there are two players on the pitch when Militão is there.”

He continued: “He’s an exceptional defender thanks to his physical strength, his skills, his intelligence and his leadership... I think he’ll help us and make a huge contribution. He’s a game-changer, in my opinion. And I’m absolutely delighted he’s back, because he’ll play a crucial role in this final stretch of the season and enable us to compete for everything.”

The newspaper *AS* reports that Militão remains a guaranteed starter for Real Madrid at present, and that his partner will be Rüdiger, whose knee has made a remarkable recovery thanks to the treatment he underwent in London at the end of January.

Rüdiger has been able to play regularly, starting in six of the team’s last seven matches and eight of the last ten (in all of which he featured).

The German player is closer than ever to renewing his contract, which expires in June, for another season, given the club’s high regard for his recent efforts in helping the team.

All of this puts Huisen in a difficult position, and it is now logical to question his place in the starting line-up.

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Huisen was one of Real Madrid’s standout signings last summer. The club paid Bournemouth €50 million to bolster their central defence, which has recently been severely hampered by injuries to Militão, Alaba and Rüdiger.

Real Madrid are confident they made the right decision in signing the international, but they also recognise the need to give him sufficient time to settle in and continue developing at the highest level. It appears he will join coach De la Fuente’s squad for the World Cup.

Huisen had a season full of ups and downs; he made a stunning start, but the 5–2 defeat to Atlético Madrid at the Metropolitano marked a turning point in his career.

Since then, his form has dipped, and his situation was exacerbated by a calf injury, but he has managed to recover from it in recent matches, coinciding with the victory over Manchester City in the Champions League.

Now, Militão’s rise to prominence makes it even harder for him to secure a starting place, and in a recent report in the newspaper ‘AS’, several veteran defenders, such as Manolo Sánchez, Paco Pavón, Rafael Alkorta and Fernando Sanz, agreed that Hoesen is “a defender who will be suitable for ten years or more”. The question remains: is Hoesen still a suitable option at centre-back at the moment, with Militão and Rodiger in their prime?