Dean Huijsen Set To Miss Out On Spain Squad Again, Report Says

Dean Huijsen looks set to be left out of Spain's squad once more, according to a report from SER via Defensa Central, as national team boss Luis de la Fuente prepares to name his final list on Friday.

The announcement comes at an interesting time for Real Madrid, since it lands just before their big derby clash against Atletico Madrid this weekend. While Marc Cucurella looks nearly certain to be included, there's real doubt over whether several Spanish players at Real Madrid will make the cut, and Huijsen appears to be one of them.

It's a surprising call given how well Huijsen has been playing this season. The young centre back has looked sharper and more composed under Jose Mourinho, a manager he's worked with before and clearly trusts. Still, that improved form might not be enough to earn him a place in de la Fuente's plans. He was also left out of Spain's World Cup squad earlier this year, a decision that caught plenty of people at Real Madrid off guard at the time.

Oddly enough, missing this international break might actually work out well for Real Madrid. With Huijsen in such good form, any injury picked up on international duty could be a real blow for the club, especially since they don't currently have another ball playing centre back who can operate on the left side of defense. That gap is one reason Real Madrid are reportedly circling Nico Schlotterbeck again. The German defender has recently returned from injury and could be available fairly cheaply next summer.

As for Huijsen, he'll just have to wait and see what de la Fuente decides. If he is left out again, he's expected to stay behind and train with Mourinho at Valdebebas during the break.