For Real Madrid, the injury crisis got even worse on Sunday, with the announcement of two more key players who are set to miss significant time. Dani Carvajal (Anterior Cruciate Ligament) and Vinicius Jr. (cervical spine injury) will now be sidelined for awhile. With Vini, he’ll obviously miss out on this international period with Brazil, and then be re-evaluated after the break.
The club statement reads that Vinícius: “has been diagnosed with a cervical injury” and that also “his progress will be monitored.”
With Carvajal, the situation is much worse, and likely a season-ender.
“Following tests carried out on Dani Carvajal by the Real Madrid Medical Services, the player has been diagnosed with a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament, a ruptured external collateral ligament and a ruptured popliteus tendon in his right leg,” the Madrid club statement reads.
“He will undergo surgery in the coming days.”
Madrid had three players, David Alaba, Eder Militao and Thibaut Courtois, all tear their ACLs last season. Pretty unheard of, but it actually happened, and they still did the UCL/La Liga double anyway. Alaba still hasn’t returned to action from his ACL while Courtois is currently out injured with an adductor strain.
The club also announced on Sunday that Carvajal will see his current contract extended by a year, keeping him at the club until June 2026.
The Real Madrid injury list is rounded out with Brahmin Diaz (hamstring, potential December return) and Dani Ceballos (ankle sprain, potential November return).
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.
