Real Madrid, who defeated Villarreal 2-0 in the ninth week of the Spanish La Liga, are in shock after Dani Carvajal suffered a serious injury in the final moments of the match.
While the team was celebrating the victory, something completely unexpected and unwanted happened in the extra time of the match. Carvajal, who was trying to intervene in a one-on-one fight with Yeremy Pino, fell to the ground in pain when his right leg got caught by his opponent.
The Spanish right back, who could not hold back his tears and was taken out of the game on a stretcher, was examined and it was learned that his cruciate ligaments were torn.
After serious knee injuries to Thibaut Courtois, Eder Militao, and David Alaba last season, silence fell over the Real Madrid squad. Carvajal, their second captain and one of the club’s iconic figures, was applauded by his teammates.
It is assumed that Carvajal will be away from the field for 8-10 months and most likely the season is over.
Poni's support
After the match, Carvajal's tears were also visible in the eyes of Yeremy Pino, who tore his ACL last season.
He was truly shaken by his national teammate Carvajal's injury, as someone who experienced and knew this pain firsthand.
Pino went to Madrid's dressing room after the match to visit Carvajal, and although he was not held responsible for the injury, he left the stadium really devastated.
A message from Dani Carvajal
Dani Carvajal, who was taken to the hospital, made the following statement about his injury:
"A serious cruciate ligament injury has been confirmed, I will have to undergo surgery and be off the pitch for a few months. I am already looking forward to starting the recovery and coming back like a beast. Thank you all very much for your messages, I feel very loved."
Official announcement from Real Madrid
Carvajal medical report
"Following tests carried out on Dani Carvajal by the Real Madrid Medical Services, the player has been diagnosed with a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament, a ruptured external collateral ligament and a ruptured popliteus tendon in his right leg. He will undergo surgery in the coming days."
Dani Carvajal signs contract renewal
Real Madrid announced that Dani Carvajal, 32, who is in the final year of his contract, has had his contract extended for one year.
Los Merengues have officially announced that Dani Carvajal's contract has been extended until the end of the 2025-26 season.
Not the only one
While Real Madrid were happy to win the match with goals from Valverde and Vinicius, an unwanted injury had already occurred before Carvajal.
In the 75th minute of the game, Vinicius, who fell to the ground in a duel, got up and threw himself to the ground, holding his shoulder. The player who injured his shoulder was replaced by Arda Güler.
Real Madrid's captain list
Before the season started, Luka Modric, Dani Carvajal, Lucas Vazquez, and Fede Valverde were announced as the captains of Los Blancos.
If Carvajal ends the season early as discussed, Madrid's captains for the rest of the season will be Luka Modrić, Lucas Vazquez, Fede Valverde, and Vinícius Jr.
Carvajal's career
Carvajal was raised in the Real Madrid infrastructure. He was sold to Bayer Leverkusen in 2012. However, Madrid bought him back a year later for €6.50 million.
The player who appeared in 427 games for Real Madrid scored 14 goals and made 65 assists. He has worked hard for the club for 11 years and is also considered one of the club's legends.
26 trophies in 427 games:
- Champions League (6)
- Club World Cup (5)
- Uefa Super Cup (5)
- LaLiga titles (4)
- Copa del Rey (2)
- Spanish Super Cups (4)
Carvajal is also a legend of the Spanish national team, for which he played 50 matches. As part of the Spain national football team, he won:
- European Championship (1)
- Nations League (1)
- European Under-21 Championship (1)
- European Under-19 Championship (2)
Thoughts after the match
Carlo Ancelotti
"It looks like quite a serious knee injury, but we will have to evaluate it in the next few hours. The dressing room is sad and worried because something has happened that happens many times in the season and unfortunately it has happened to a very important player for us.
"He is an essential player for us because of his experience, professionalism and seriousness. We are going to wait, I have spoken to him and he is sad and disappointed. We cannot do much about it now. We have to wait for the medical assessment and then think about getting him back. I spoke to the doctor and he told me it was a knee injury. He did not tell me what it is. They have to do some tests. It is an injury that I hope will be as minimal as possible.
"When something like this happens to a player like Dani, who is always motivated, it affects all the players and the whole team. We have to respond. Last year we reacted very well to the injuries we had and this year we have to make a further effort to ensure that the injuries serve as a source of motivation for the rest of the squad, as was the case last year."
Jude Bellingham
"I am very pleased with the reaction, the performance and the result after a bad week that hurt us as a team. What happened to Dani leaves a bad taste in our mouths and they are still doing tests on him. We hope it is as minor as possible and that he can return as soon as possible. He is a huge player for us and has a great personality. We are keeping our fingers crossed for him."
Fede Valverde
"We are concerned about Carvajal‘s health and we will see what they tell us in the dressing room. It was an alright game. Not too good and not too bad. We did the right things to win and only two goals were enough, although now the concern is different."
