The persistent injury bug is back affecting Real Madrid’s first-team. Even though we are just three matches into the new season, Los Blancos continue to receive bad news regarding some star players.
First it was Toni Kroos. Then it was Eden Hazard. Now, it is right-back Dani Carvajal who has gone down injured.
Kroos suffered a muscle injury in the thrilling win over Real Betis last weekend while Hazard – who has not played in a match since August against Manchester City – will miss another month due to a thigh muscle problem in his right leg.
While it is good news that neither Kroos nor Hazard are seriously injured, manager Zinedine Zidane is trying to find who can provide his team with goals. Kroos serves as the quarterback in the midfield and Hazard’s presence alone on the left flank makes teams game plan to slow him down, thus opening space for Karim Benzema and Marco Asensio.
The newest injury, losing Dani Carvajal for two months, is a huge a blow to the defensive integrity of this team.
"“Following tests carried out on Dani Carvajal by the Real Madrid Medical Services, he has been diagnosed with an injury to his medial collateral ligament in his right knee. His recovery will continue to be assessed.”"
Carvajal did not start the mid-week match at home against Real Valladolid, but came on in the 57th minute for Alvaro Odriozola and completed the match. So, how did the injury occur or better yet, when?
Was there concern following 90 minutes of play in Seville? Did it occur on Wednesday? There is little information available other than the statement from Real Madrid and this tweet from Carvajal.
Muchas gracias por todos los mensajes de ánimo que estoy recibiendo.🙏🏻
— Dani Carvajal Ramos (@DaniCarvajal92) October 2, 2020
No es más que una piedra en el camino.
Deseando estar de vuelta cuanto antes. pic.twitter.com/l40Zol6LLY
Since Eder Militao is still recovering from a hamstring problem he suffered during the short offseason, Real Madrid has no one to backup Odriozola other than Nacho Fernandez. Even though Odriozola was great in his first appearance of the season against Valladolid, having that veteran presence of Dani Carvajal is soothing because we know the number two will track back to cover on defense no matter the distance.
Odriozola has that speed, but he sometimes is caught out of position, or gets a tad bit spastic and loses the ball in a bad area.
Zidane clearly is not the biggest fan of Alvaro’s (why was he loaned in January to Bayern without properly adding a backup?) and Achraf Hakimi is now with Inter Milan?
Is it just me or was that a terrible decision to get rid of the Moroccan before the season began? Watch the highlights of Inter’s 5-2 win over Benevento and get back to me!