Real Madrid suffer Dani Carvajal injury blow for Villarreal game

Real Madrid’s preparations ahead of their upcoming La Liga fixture away against Villarreal have been handed a blow with Dani Carvajal’s most recent fitness issue. The 30-year-old right-back was one of the two missing players from the team’s first training session of the new year, with goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois being the other absentee.

Carlo Ancelotti fielded a new look team as Real Madrid won their Copa del Rey Round of 32 fixture away at 4th division side, Cacereno. The starting XI consisted of two natural right-backs as both Lucas Vazquez and Alvaro Odriozola took to the pitch, with the latter operating in a more unusual left-back role.

Courtois has returned to training normally since then, as he seems to have overcome the minor niggle he picked up during Real Madrid’s trip to Valladolid last weekend. Andriy Lunin had started in the last game against Cacereno in the absence of the Belgian.

On the other hand, as reported by El Golazo de Gol (via Tribuna), Carvajal is “practically ruled out” for the game against Villarreal due to a muscle overload in his left leg. However, the injury is not serious and the Spaniard is expected to travel to Saudi Arabia for their upcoming Spanish Super Cup match vs Valencia.

Real Madrid suffer Carvajal injury blow for Villarreal game

Carvajal has always been on the receiving end of multiple injury blows down the years, and the club are rumoured to be on the lookout for a long-term replacement for the future either through the transfer market or through their own youth ranks.

Carlo Ancelotti has a wealth of options who can fill in for Carvajal as the team’s second choice right-back, but none of them have been convincing enough to be granted a starting berth so far this season.

Odriozola played his first minutes of this campaign in the game vs Cacereno. Vazquez was no defender while coming through the ranks but has developed into a right-back over the years.

Others like Eder Militao and Fede Valverde have proved reliable in that position in the past for Ancelotti but the Italian coach knows better than to shift his important players around unnecessarily.

Odriozola himself was forced off the pitch against Cacereno and as a result, it will most probably be Vazquez who starts at right-back in the game against Villarreal at the weekend.