Why Real Madrid should not let Dani Carvajal play against Barcelona

Real Madrid are finally back in action after a long break as they take on Shakhtar Donetsk in the UEFA Champions League Group Stage fixture. Carlo Ancelotti will be without several key players for the game on Tuesday evening as Eden Hazard, Dani Carvajal, Gareth Bale, Isco, and Luka Jovic are all ruled out with injuries.

According to the recent updates, Eden Hazard and Dani Carvajal are working hard to recover in time for the El Clasico on Sunday afternoon. However, the latter has been advised against rushing his recovery in order to play against Barca at Camp Nou.

ABC reports that Antonio Pintus and the medical staff at Real Madrid are worried about Carvajal’s decision to rush his recovery due to the significant calf injury he picked up. The medical staff and Pintus prefer to let Carvajal slowly work his way back to full fitness in order to prevent a possible relapse that could further sideline him for a longer period.

The 29-year-old has incurred an unfortunate string of injuries for the past three seasons which have kept him in and out of action often. While Dani Carvajal is keen on recovering as soon as possible to play the El Clasico, his decision to hasten his recovery could backfire severely for his career and Carlo Ancelotti’s plans for the season.

The Spain international’s absence on the right-flank is heavily felt as he contributes effectively on both ends of the pitch. However, the season has not even reached the halfway mark yet and Carvajal simply cannot risk putting himself into such a position where he can incur a horrible relapse.

There are more important games to play in the coming months and a fully-fit Dani Carvajal would be a huge boost for the team.

In the end, it all boils down to Carlo Ancelotti’s decision on whether or not Carvajal should feature against Barcelona. Given his recent injury record, the most logical option would be to rest the 29-year-old and get him back to full fitness for the remaining fixtures.