Dani Carvajal’s 2024 has been a roller coaster of emotions given the manner in which it has unfolded.
Starting with winning La Liga, the UEFA Champions League and Euro 2024 and then being nominated for the Ballon d’Or, he was enjoying a dream season until a gut-wrenching injury before the international break.
Playing against Villarreal just before the international break, Carvajal lunged into a challenge and over-extended his knee in the dying minutes of the game, tearing his cruciate ligament and suffering a serious setback.
The player is now out for the season and presumably the initial stages of next season as well but the club have been supportive of him throughout.
A message of solidarity
Last night, Los Blancos took to the field for the first time since Carvajal’s grievous setback and the dressing room made sure to send a message of support to the captain who is recovering at home.
All players of the squad stepped onto the field with shirts that read “Mucha Fuerza Dani” before the game at Balaidos to extend their heartfelt support at this difficult moment for the right-back, as revealed by Mundo Deportivo.
Carvajal has successfully undergone surgery and will hope to cut short his recovery period to the maximum given how he has always been a fighter.
Considering the nature of the injury and the long time ligament injuries require to heal, however, he will not return to the grass for at least half a year.
Moreover, his relatively complicated knee injury means that he could well return to action for Real Madrid only towards the end of 2025 or in early 2026.
In the captain’s absence, Carlo Ancelotti and Co. will trust Lucas Vazquez to man the right-back position with Eder Militao as his backup.
The possibility of deploying Federico Valverde in the role has also been considered.