Real Madrid youngster faces uphill battle for minutes despite Jose Mourinho backing

One of the biggest revelations of Alvaro Arbeloa’s time at Real Madrid was the emergence of Thiago Pitarch as a first-team option.

The Castilla midfielder made the step up to the first team and immediately looked at home, adding a profile that Los Blancos desperately lacked.

He has been injured since the start of pre-season but is now finally available to fight for his place at Real Madrid.

According to AS, Thiago remains part of Madrid’s first-team plans despite being registered with the reserve side.

His performances last season, when he accumulated more than 800 first-team minutes, remain his strongest argument for receiving opportunities.

Thiago could offer Madrid something they need

Madrid’s midfield control has again become a talking point after the club ultimately failed to sign Rodri during the summer.

The issue was particularly noticeable against Inter Milan. Mourinho wanted Madrid to keep possession for longer and calm the game, but his team struggled to establish sustained control.

Thiago Pitarch was a revelation last season. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

Thiago showed last season that he can operate in demanding situations. He became a regular under Alvaro Arbeloa and even started both Champions League last-16 matches against Manchester City before starting the first leg of the quarter-final against Bayern Munich.

His development was interrupted when an injury at the beginning of pre-season prevented him from properly introducing himself to Mourinho.

Mourinho believes he belongs in first team

The biggest problem now is competition.

Thiago’s natural position in Mourinho’s 4-2-3-1 is in the double pivot, where Federico Valverde, Aurelien Tchouameni, Eduardo Camavinga and Bernardo Silva are already competing.

On paper, that leaves the youngster fifth in the hierarchy. Mourinho nevertheless made his opinion of Thiago’s potential clear.

“He is not a player to play at Castilla level. He is a first-team player and I like him a lot,” Mourinho said.

“He has qualities that I really like. When he is fit, he will be part of the group and, being part of the group, he will also get minutes. He has a lot of quality.”

Mourinho wants Thiago to develop physically

Mourinho did address one area of the game that the Castilla midfielder needs to work on, and he wants Thiago to become stronger.

Mourinho wants Pitarch to get more stronger physically. (Photo by Florencia Tan Jun/Getty Images)

“The only thing I tell him is that the muscles in his legs are like mine, and he needs to put a couple of kilos on them through work,” Mourinho explained.

For Madrid, Thiago should not be dismissed simply because four established midfielders currently stand ahead of him.

He has already handled Champions League pressure and shown he belongs at senior level. Now he needs fitness, physical development and patience.

If he can continue to impress in the limited opportunities he gets, Mourinho will undoubtedly make him a key part of his plans.

It remains to be seen how Thiago looks after returning from injury and whether he is ready to break into Madrid’s first-team midfield in the coming weeks.