"He will undergo surgery in the coming days" - Real Madrid confirm star player has suffered ACL injury
Real Madrid right-back Dani Carvajal has been diagnosed with a serious knee injury following the team's 2-0 victory over Villarreal on Saturday. The club issued a statement confirming that Carvajal sustained a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), a ruptured external collateral ligament, and a ruptured popliteus tendon in his right leg.
"Following tests carried out on our player Dani Carvajal by the Real Madrid Medical Services, he has been diagnosed with a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament, a rupture of the external collateral ligament and a rupture of the popliteus tendon in his right leg. He will undergo surgery in the coming days," the statement read (via ESPN).
The injury occurred in the final moments of the match at Santiago Bernabeu. Carvajal collided with Villarreal’s Yeremy Pino and immediately fell to the ground in visible pain. The defender, who was carried off the pitch in tears, later posted a statement on social media, saying:
“Serious cruciate ligament injury confirmed. I’ll have to undergo surgery and be off the field for a few months. Looking forward to starting the recovery process and coming back like an animal.”
Real Madrid's manager Carlo Ancelotti addressed the injury in his post-match press conference. Ancelotti had confirmed the severity of Carvajal’s condition, saying (via News 18):
“It looks like quite a serious knee injury but we’ll have to evaluate it in the next few hours.”
The coach added that the dressing room was sad and worried for Carvajal, noting that 'he’s an essential player for us because of his experience'. Carvajal’s absence will be a significant blow for Los Blancos, with the experienced defender playing a crucial role in their recent success.
Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr. diagnosed with cervical injury; set to miss international duty with Brazil
Real Madrid also confirmed that Vinicius Junior has suffered a cervical injury following the match against Villarreal. According to a statement on the club’s official website, tests revealed a neck issue, and the attacker is now pending evaluation.
Vinicius will not join the Brazilian national team for the upcoming FIFA international break as he takes time to recover. Instead, he will remain in Madrid, focusing on rehabilitation with an eye on returning for key fixtures later this month, including the highly anticipated El Clasico against Barcelona.
Despite the worry, early indications suggest that Vinicius has avoided a long-term setback. Vinicius’ absence is a blow to both Real Madrid and the Brazilian national team but the 23-year-old forward should return in time for critical club fixtures following the international break.