Real Madrid’s defensive problems have deepened after Dani Carvajal suffered a calf injury during Saturday’s disappointing Madrid derby defeat to Atletico, Afrosport reports.
The right-back was forced off in the 59th minute at the Metropolitano Stadium, where Los Blancos slumped to a 5-2 defeat.
The club confirmed on Sunday that the 33-year-old had sustained a muscle injury in his right leg, with initial assessments suggesting a spell on the sidelines of up to four weeks.
“Following tests carried out today on Dani Carvajal by Real Madrid’s medical department, the player has been diagnosed with an injury to the soleus muscle in his right leg. His progress will be monitored,” a club statement read.
Carvajal’s absence comes as another major blow for manager Xabi Alonso, who is already without summer signing Trent Alexander-Arnold through injury. The England international, who arrived in a high-profile move during the summer, has been ruled out for up to eight weeks after picking up a hamstring issue.
Alexander-Arnold’s absence, coupled with Carvajal’s setback, leaves Madrid without a recognised right-back for a crucial stretch of the season. To add to Alonso’s concerns, Antonio Rudiger and Ferland Mendy also remain sidelined.
With Madrid facing a demanding schedule over the coming weeks, the timing could not be worse. They meet Juventus in the Champions League on 22 October, before taking on Barcelona in the first El Clasico of the campaign just four days later and neither Carvajal nor Alexander-Arnold is expected to recover in time for those fixtures.
Alonso may be forced into tactical reshuffles to patch up his defence. Federico Valverde could once again be deployed as an emergency right-back, while 22-year-old Raul Asencio is another option under consideration. Both are likely to feature when Madrid visit Kazakh side Kairat in the Champions League on Tuesday.
Madrid’s busy run continues with a tricky home tie against Villarreal on 4 October before the international break. With no natural right-backs available, Alonso faces the challenge of keeping Madrid’s title ambitions on track amid mounting injury setbacks.
