Real Madrid to Use Castilla Matches for Pitarch's Return From Knee Injury
The short version
- Thiago Pitarch, 19, will make his season debut with Real Madrid Castilla while recovering from a knee injury.
- He is expected to face Sant Andreu at Can Drago on Wednesday, with possible outings against Alcorcon (Sept. 27) and Atletico Madrid B (Oct. 2).
- The midfielder missed Mourinho's full pre-season and the start of 2026/27 but remains in the first-team setup.
- A return to the senior squad is expected once the international break concludes.
Thiago Pitarch, 19, will rebuild match fitness with Real Madrid Castilla during the international break as he nears the end of a long knee rehabilitation.
Real Madrid have arranged for 19-year-old midfielder Thiago Pitarch to get his first competitive action of the campaign with Castilla, Mundo Deportivo reports. The plan was settled jointly by the club, manager Jose Mourinho and the player, and is aimed at bringing him back gradually after a knee problem kept him out for all of pre-season and the opening of 2026/27.
Pitarch is expected to take the field on Wednesday when Castilla host Sant Andreu at Can Drago, a game pushed back from last weekend because of the Under-20 Intercontinental Cup. Although registered with Castilla, the teenager remains part of Mourinho's senior setup and has trained with the first team on multiple occasions without yet making his competitive debut.
Further appearances could follow, with Primera RFEF home fixtures against Alcorcon on September 27 and Atletico Madrid B on October 2, both at the Alfredo Di Stefano Stadium. The club views these matches as a way to test how his knee holds up under competitive pressure.
Once the international break ends, Pitarch is anticipated to link back up with the senior squad. The club sees the Castilla stint as the closing phase of his recovery rather than any shift in his standing in Mourinho's plans.
