Real Madrid starlet aims to take advantage of the international break to recover match rhythm

Real Madrid starlet aims to take advantage of the international break to recover match rhythm The ongoing international break could be a real blessing in disguise for Real Madrid, who have found more questions than answers so far this season. The club are already trailing Barcelona by six points and coach Jose Mourinho must find answers soon if he wants to get his team back to the top. Meanwhile, some players will look to utilise the international break to speed up their recovery and get back to the pitch as soon as possible. Thiago Pitarch is the ideal case in point. A plan to rebuild Pitarch’s fitness According to MARCA , Real Madrid appear to have devised a plan to get Pitarch back to the pitch after early-season injury woes. Real Madrid intend for Pitarch to feature for Castilla during the international break, taking advantage of the fact that the first team is not in action. Pitarch has been missing in action in these early parts of the season. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images) Pitarch returned to Mourinho’s squad two weeks ago but is yet to feature in any of the four matches against Inter Milan, Rayo Vallecano, Elche and Atletico Madrid. With Real Madrid not playing again until October 10, the plan is for him to join the reserve side and build up minutes over the coming weeks. Despite being part of the first-team setup, Pitarch retains a registration with Castilla, and Real Madrid want to use that open door to help him regain full fitness. He is expected to feature in Castilla’s postponed fixture against Sant Andreu, with the subsidiary having three league commitments during the break that will suit him perfectly. A three-week express pre-season In effect, the arrangement gives Pitarch a three-week express pre-season to make up for the preparation he lost through injury. The midfielder could even supplement his Castilla minutes with international duty, having been called up by Spain’s Under-20 side. Pitarch will look to utilise the international break to good effect. (Photo by Charlotte Tattersall/Getty Images) They have a fixture against Mexico on September 30, though that match remains up in the air after the original plan to stage it in Ceuta was cancelled. The 19-year-old has not played a competitive match for two and a half months, since featuring in Spain’s Under-19 European Championship final on July 11, before his injury struck upon returning to work at Valdebebas. Mourinho, who blocked Pitarch’s exit in the summer despite interest from Fulham, clearly rates the youngster highly . Rather than throwing him straight back into first-team action, the coach believes competing with Castilla is the ideal way for Pitarch to rediscover his rhythm and be ready to contribute when club football resumes.