Carvajal Set For Surgery After Suffering Serious Knee Injury In Real Madrid’s 2-0 Win Over Villarreal.
Dani Carvajal has confirmed that he will undergo surgery following a serious cruciate ligament injury sustained during Real Madrid’s 2-0 victory against Villarreal at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. The 32-year-old right-back was injured in added time after a collision with Villarreal’s Yeremy Pino, leaving him in visible agony as he over-extended his knee.
Carvajal was carried off the pitch on a stretcher, in tears, as concern grew among his teammates and fans. The Spanish defender later took to Instagram to confirm the severity of his injury. “Serious cruciate ligament injury confirmed, I’m going to have to go through surgery and be off the field for a few months,” Carvajal wrote. “Already looking forward to starting recovery and coming back like a beast.”
The injury has cast a shadow over what was otherwise a positive result for Real Madrid, with the team continuing their unbeaten start to the La Liga season. Speaking after the match, manager Carlo Ancelotti expressed the squad’s disappointment over Carvajal’s injury. “The players are sad and worried for Dani,” Ancelotti stated. “It’s something that happens a lot, unfortunately, especially with the busy calendar. Dani is a very important player for us, and this is a tough loss.”
Despite the emotional setback, Real Madrid delivered a strong performance on the field. Federico Valverde opened the scoring in the 14th minute with a deflected shot that found the bottom left corner of the net, leaving Villarreal’s Alex Baena helpless. Villarreal responded quickly, coming close to equalising when Nicolas Pépé’s header struck the crossbar, but Thierno Barry’s follow-up effort was headed over.
Real Madrid sealed the victory in the 73rd minute when Vinícius Júnior fired an unstoppable long-range effort into the top corner. Further chances fell to Antonio Rüdiger and Jude Bellingham, but neither managed to extend the lead. Villarreal, meanwhile, continued to threaten, with Baena’s 25-yard free-kick grazing the side netting. They also had a potential penalty overturned after Aurelien Tchouameni’s foul on Barry was ruled offside.
The win keeps Real Madrid level on points with arch-rivals Barcelona at the top of the La Liga table. Real’s unbeaten streak in La Liga now extends to 41 matches (30 wins, 11 draws), the second-longest in the competition’s history, just behind Barcelona’s 43-match run from 2018.
The victory comes after Real Madrid’s unexpected Champions League defeat to Lille earlier in the week, and Ancelotti will be hoping his side can continue their domestic momentum despite the absence of Carvajal, who is expected to miss several months due to surgery.
As Real Madrid prepare for their next matches, all eyes will be on how the team adapts to Carvajal’s absence, with hopes high for a speedy recovery for the Spanish international. Meanwhile, Barcelona have the opportunity to go three points clear at the top of the table if they secure a win against Alavés on Sunday.
