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Xabi Alonso has said he has 'no ideas' how Real Madrid would play in the FIFA Club World Cup semifinal against Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) without Dean Huijsen. The defender will miss the match after getting a red card in the dramatic last minutes of their 3-2 quarterfinal win over Borussia Dortmund on Saturday (July 5).
Speaking to the media after the game, Alonso said he had not started thinking about the semifinal and needed time. Claiming that Huijsen is a key player for the side, the manager said (via Madrid Universal's X handle):
"Dean Huijsen's red card? He is very important. Not just when it comes to building up the game. I don't know. The game's just over. I'm not thinking about the semifinal yet. I'll take a few hours to calm down a bit, and once we get on the plane, I'll think about how we deal with the PSG game."
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However, Xabi is confident that someone from the Real Madrid squad will step up. He said (via Madrid Xtra's X handle):
"Semifinal without Huijsen? No ideas now, I'm not thinking about that now. But we will try to replace him, we're a team."
Real Madrid will face PSG in the semifinal on Wednesday (July 9) at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. The UEFA Champions League winners beat Bayern Munich 2-0 in their quarterfinal clash on Saturday.
"I didn't have eyes for any other team" - Dean Huijsen upon joining Real Madrid
Dean Huijsen joined Real Madrid earlier this summer from AFC Bournemouth, as the Spanish giants activated his release clause. Chelsea, Manchester City, and Arsenal were also interested in signing him for £50 million, but the defender opted to join Los Blancos.
At his unveiling, the 20-year-old Spaniard said (via ESPN):
"I wanted to be here from day one. Since [Real] Madrid called me, I didn't have eyes for any other team ... I arrive at the best club in the world. I'm here to give everything, work hard, and keep being humble. Let's hope we can win a lot of trophies together, starting with the Club World Cup. Madrid is the club of my life."
Huijsen had revealed that he got a message from club legend Sergio Ramos as well.
"[Ramos] sent me a message the day [the transfer] was made official," Huijsen added. "He's my biggest idol, the best centre-back in history."
Dean Huijsen has played in all of his team's Club World Cup matches so far. He will be sitting out on Wednesday for the first time since joining Real Madrid.
