Real Madrid: Grading every fullback from the 2020-2021 season

RB Dani Carvajal

Now we shift over to the right side of the defense, which was decimated by injuries. Dani Carvajal came into the season as the best right back in the world, and it’s a distinction he probably still holds over the likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold. But Madridistas are worried about how much they can rely on Carvajal. Injuries were a problem for him in the past, but they were an even bigger issue than usual for the world-class defender in 2020-2021.

In total, Carvajal appeared in just two Champions League fixtures and did not even register 1,000 minutes in LaLiga due to suffering multiple injuries. When he did play, Carvajal was effective defensively, and the stats show just how much Carvajal impacts this defense. Real Madrid are not at full strength without Carvajal’s one-on-one defending and toughness on the right-hand side. He was a huge reason for Real’s nearly-decisive Derbi triumph over Atletico Madrid in the first half of the season, during a period in which Real were in a bit of a crisis due to two Champions League losses to Shakhtar Donetsk (none of which Carva took part in).

Real Madrid have to think about Carvajal’s backup next season, as Lucas Vazquez is on an expiring contract and Alvaro Odriozola’s consistency is still a question mark. But this dialogue does not exist because Carvajal is declining. He’s still excellent. The crux of the issue is injury.

Perhaps Carvajal will have much better luck with rest and a less stressful 2021-2022 season in scheduling. He was tremendous defensively this past season, even as his attacking took a bit of a hit, especially when he was struggling to get back from injury, as we saw in the loss to Chelsea.

Rating: 6.0