Huijsen brings Lamine Yamal back down to earth during Spain's training session

Real Madrid is one of the many clubs affected by the September international break. While Xabi Alonso's uncalled-up players are enjoying some rest until next Monday, the footballers drafted by their national teams must keep training to prepare themselves.

Two of the players currently involved in these routines are Lamine Yamal and Dean Huijsen. Both the FC Barcelona striker and the Real Madrid center-back will share a locker room for the next two weeks, under the tactical direction of Luis de la Fuente. The national coach trusts the talent of both young men.

This is especially true after what happened in the last training session of the Spanish national team. Lamine Yamal tried to dribble past Dean Huijsen after receiving a pass from a teammate. In the video published by MARCA, you can see how FC Barcelona's new "10" steps on and drags the ball, moving his legs to try to fool the Madrid defender.

He doesn't succeed, because his nutmeg attempt is thwarted by Dean Huijsen's quickness. The Madrid "24" tries to return the favor by hitting the ball several times, but the ball ends up bouncing off Lamine Yamal's legs, deflecting and taking a different trajectory. That small play is further proof of the defensive abilities of the Madrid player.

First clues

Although it's true that this is a one-on-one that's too informal, without the competitive tension of a match, it makes clear that Dean Huijsen always thinks about defending. Even when he shouldn't, as shown by the failed nutmeg planned by Lamine Yamal during Spain's training camp in the September international break.

The progress of the former AFC Bournemouth player since he arrived in Santiago Bernabéu locker room has been unstoppable. Despite the good results achieved so far, both the coaching staff and the board of directors are asking for patience and calm. What happened against PSG in the Club World Cup is still very present.

Xabi Alonso has reiterated on multiple occasions, such as in the press conference after the match against Real Mallorca, that several aspects of his players' competitive performance must be "corrected". Dean Huijsen, despite having become the leader of Madrid's defensive line, is included in those periodic warnings from the Tolosa coach.

His development during international drafts also draws the attention of the scouts led by Juni Calafat. It's no coincidence that the Madrid coaching staff want to keep under control one of the most important players in the Madrid sports discipline for the next 15 years.