Dean Huijsen will return to the Real Madrid starting lineup when they take on Barcelona in the first El Clasico of the 2025/26 season at the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday.

Real Madrid will aim to widen the gap atop La Liga when they host Barcelona at the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday afternoon in El Clasico of the 2025/26 season. Xabi Alonso has received many positive updates on the team news front ahead of his side’s latest fixture.

Dani Carvajal, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Dean Huijsen are fit and available to take on Barcelona this weekend, with Alonso including the defensive trio in the matchday squad. So, the injury crisis has eased considerably.

Antonio Rudiger and David Alaba are the only players in the treatment room, with the veteran centre-backs recovering from muscular issues. Meanwhile, during his pre-match press conference, Alonso did not provide fitness updates on any player. However, the Spanish tactician responded to questions about his starting lineup this weekend.

The Real Madrid manager said, “It’s in my head. We’ve got almost all the players back who couldn’t play against Juventus, and tomorrow you’ll see the starting XI. I’m working on the assumption that everyone in the squad could start. Then it’ll depend on what we need tactically or in terms of morale. Everyone in the squad can play.”

Alonso then responded to questions about squad recovery after the UEFA Champions League tie with Juventus earlier this week. He said, “I think he looks just as good and the players are just as motivated. We know what the match means and how much we want it. Everyone has recovered well after the Juve game.”

“Raúl [Asencio] has recovered well too, and tomorrow is the day. We’re working on how we can be more efficient and what he needs to do to make an impact and how he can be the most decisive player within the team. It’s not just about goals, the quality of the team is improving and he’s a key part of that. We’re working on that.”

Thibaut Courtois is an automatic pick between the sticks, with Real Madrid lining up in a 4-3-3 formation in front of him against Barcelona on Sunday. The backline will feature Federico Valverde, Eder Militao, Dean Huijsen, and Alvaro Carreras. However, Carvajal and Alexander-Arnold are also in contention to start on the right flank.

As for the midfield unit, Jude Bellingham will line up alongside Aurelien Tchouameni and Arda Guler in the middle of the park. So, Eduardo Camavinga and Dani Ceballos will be backup options on the bench. Finally, Kylian Mbappe will lead the line for the home side against Barcelona, with Vinicius Junior and Franco Mastantuono completing the numbers in the offensive third.

Predicted Real Madrid XI: Courtois; Valverde, Militao, Huijsen, Carreras; Guler, Tchouameni, Bellingham; Mastantuono, Mbappe, Vinicius Junior