Real Madrid handed double fitness boost ahead of Spanish Supercopa in January - Reports
Real Madrid could reportedly have right-back Dani Carvajal and attacker Vinicius Junior back from their respective injuries for next month's Spanish Supercopa.
As per Spanish publication Marca, the club are expecting Carvajal and Vinicius to return to full fitness ahead of their Supercopa opener in Riyadh. Los Blancos will take on Atletico Madrid in the semifinals of the competition on January 10.
The report added that Carvajal could potentially earn some minutes in Real Madrid's La Liga clash against Mallorca at the Santiago Bernabeu on January 3. That game will notably be their first after the ongoing winter break and will be followed by a Copa del Rey match away to Arandina three days later.
The Spanish right-back has not played since December 2 due to a calf injury. Vinicius, meanwhile, sustained a torn thigh muscle while on international duty in November. The Brazilian has since missed seven games for his club across La Liga and the UEFA Champions League.
Apart from Carvajal and Vinicius, Carlo Ancelotti may also be able to call upon three more currently injured players in the first few weeks of next year. Arda Guler, Eduardo Camavinga and Ferland Mendy could all be in the fray to return after lengthy injury lay-offs according to Marca's reports.
Guler, who arrived in the summer, is yet to make his official debut for Real Madrid after suffering a torn meniscus in his knee in preseason and undergoing surgery. Camavinga tore a ligament in his knee in November, while Mendy is currently recovering from a muscle injury sustained earlier this month.
Meanwhile, Thibaut Courtois, Eder Militao and David Alaba have all been ruled out for the season after suffering ACL injuries during various points of the campaign.
Despite their lengthy injury list, Real Madrid have enjoyed an excellent first half of the season. They entered the winter break atop the La Liga standings with 45 points from 18 matches and also topped their UEFA Champions League group.
Looking at how Dani Carvajal and Vinicius Junior fared this season for Real Madrid before their injuries
Vinicius Junior is undoubtedly one of the most important players in Real Madrid's attack.
Despite receiving some criticism earlier in the season for his inconsistent displays, he found his mojo as the weeks passed. At the time of his injury, the Brazilian had six goals and four assists in 13 matches across competitions.
Meanwhile, Dani Carvajal, at 31, began the season as Los Blancos' starting right-back. He played 17 times in all competitions prior to his injury, starting on 15 occasions, and recorded two goals and two assists.