Mourinho's Headache: Promising Real Madrid Talent Suffers Serious Injury

Real Madrid and their new coach, Jose Mourinho, have been dealt an unfortunate blow. Academy product Tiago Pitarc has sustained a right knee injury during training and is expected to be sidelined until at least mid-September.

The 18-year-old talent will be out for approximately six weeks due to the injury, which will prevent him from participating in the start of La Liga. Naturally, Pitarc will also miss the team's summer pre-season, including friendly matches during their Austrian camp against Fiorentina (August 1), Ferencváros (August 8), and Deportivo (August 12).

Furthermore, he will be unavailable for the La Liga fixtures against Espanyol (August 22), Real Sociedad (August 26), Malaga (August 30), and Betis (September 6).

Tiago Pitarc was one of Real Madrid's few bright spots last season. The central midfielder was called up to the first team under Xabi Alonso and made his debut on March 2 against Getafe, with Arbeloa giving him significant playing time and an important role. He even started in crucial matches, such as the Champions League Round of 16 clash against Manchester City and the first leg against Bayern Munich.

Last season, Pitarc played a total of 16 games for Real, providing two assists. With numerous players in his position, including Tchouaméni, Valverde, Bellingham, Bernardo Silva, Güler, and Camavinga, the most likely outcome for the 18-year-old appears to be a loan spell.