How long will Real Madrid’s Thiago Pitarch be out after knee injury?
The midfielder has suffered an injury to the medial collateral ligament in his left knee after an awkward movement during training. He is expected to be sidelined for six to eight weeks.
Real Madrid’s Thiago Pitarch has suffered a left knee injury. While it is not considered serious, it is significant enough to disrupt the start of his season.
The injury occurred during one of his first training sessions with the first team earlier this week. An awkward movement left him in immediate pain and he went to the ground. Medical tests later confirmed damage to the medial collateral ligament (MCL) in his left knee.
He is expected to be out for six to eight weeks, a timeline that rules him out for the remainder of preseason and Real Madrid’s opening LaLiga matches. It also complicates any potential move away from the club during the current transfer window.
Thiago’s transfer plans put on hold
Thiago’s future was already expected to be discussed in the coming weeks.
As previously reported, Real Madrid are looking to clarify the situations of Raúl Asencio and Gonzalo, with both expected to leave on loan in search of regular playing time. Thiago’s case was similar, but his situation had been delayed because of his schedule.
The 18-year-old only finished the UEFA European Under-19 Championship on July 11 before joining preseason training this week. Mourinho has had far less opportunity to assess him than many of the other young players, meaning no decision had yet been made about his future.
Decision on Thiago transfer
The injury now makes that process even more complicated.
Although the setback is not viewed as a major concern, any move would now involve a player who is still recovering. That makes a permanent transfer less attractive, even if Real Madrid were to include a buy-back clause.
A loan move appears to be the more realistic option. Málaga have already shown interest, although Thiago’s preference would reportedly be to join a club competing in the UEFA Champions League.
For now, however, his future remains uncertain.
Midfield overcrowding at Real Madrid
Regardless of the injury, earning a place in Real Madrid’s first team was already going to be difficult because of the competition for places.
Aurélien Tchouaméni, Federico Valverde, Jude Bellingham, Bernardo Silva, Arda Güler and Eduardo Camavinga are all ahead of him in the midfield pecking order.
At 18 years old, regular minutes are considered essential to his development.
Thiago out for Real Madrid until at least September
Thiago will miss all of Real Madrid’s preseason schedule, including games against Leganés, Fiorentina, Ferencváros and Deportivo La Coruña, as well as at least the opening three LaLiga fixtures against Espanyol, Real Sociedad and Málaga.
The midfielder shared a photo on social media showing the substantial brace protecting his left knee, which he will wear during the early stages of his recovery.
His return is tentatively expected in September, although his availability for Real Madrid’s opening Champions League match remains uncertain.
The club handled the injury discreetly, carrying out several rounds of medical tests to determine the full extent of the damage. The diagnosis confirmed a moderate-grade MCL injury, with a recovery time of six to eight weeks.
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