The second captain of Real Madrid, Dani Carvajal is working very hard to shorten the recovery time from his serious knee injury. In Valdebebas they are impressed with how he is progressing and hope that he will return to the first team much sooner than expected.
Dani Carvajal is one of the most important players in the Real Madrid squad. Last season he was key to the success of the team, and he completed the best season of his career, playing a leading role in winning the Champions League with Real Madrid and the European Championship in June and July. All this earned him a nomination for the Ballon d’Or and a place among the five best players in the world.
The injury that changed everything
The start of the season was just as good as last year. Dani Carvajal came back like a bull and with an extra confidence boost thanks to the excellent season he had just had. However, everything went wrong on October 6, in injury time of the match between Real Madrid and Villarreal, which the Whites won 2-0. A tussle with Yeremi Pino ended in the fateful injury. The full-back tried to clear a ball and found the yellow attacker’s boot, with the bad luck that his knee bent inwards.
The gestures of pain presaged the worst, and hours later the worst news was confirmed. The Leganés full-back suffered a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament, rupture of the external collateral ligament and rupture of the popliteal tendon in his right leg. From that moment on, the toughest game of the footballer’s career began with one purpose, to get back on the football field as soon as possible. Five days later he underwent knee surgery and from that day on, the process of returning to the soccer fields began.
Real Madrid suffer at right back
Real Madrid have missed Dani Carvajal throughout the season. Far from looking for a replacement, the Whites opted to give the responsibility to Lucas Vázquez, a home-grown player who has been able to deputise for the Madrid-born player in recent years. However, the starting role has been too big for him and he has shown that in important matches he is not at a high enough level to occupy the position.
In recent matches, Carlo Ancelotti has decided to use Fede Valverde in this position, and his performance has proven the Italian coach right. But it is only a stopgap measure, and Real Madrid hopes that Carvajal can recover his best form to return to the position
Carvajal shortens recovery time
Dani Carvajal has been fully committed to his recovery, with an enviable work ethic, which is causing recovery times to be shortened. The first option being considered by Real Madrid’s medical staff is that he could be available for the start of the 2025-2026 season. But after several months of hard work, there is speculation that the Leganés full-back could be available for the Club World Cup this summer.
At Real Madrid they see it as an interesting option. Although on paper it seems like an attractive competition, the club considers it a second-level tournament, a great opportunity for players with fewer minutes or with interesting potential, and also a chance for players coming back from serious injuries to get some game time. His presence is by no means confirmed, but the discipline of the footballer suggests that he may be able to reach the tournament.
We will have to see how Dani Carvajal develops over the coming months, but everything suggests that we will be able to see the full-back much sooner than expected.