In Saturday’s Madrid Derby, where Atlético Madrid thrashed Real Madrid 5-2, Los Blancos veteran Dani Carvajal suffered an unfortunate calf injury and is expected to be sidelined for up to five weeks.
The 33-year-old right-back was substituted in the 59th minute at the Cívitas Metropolitano. Real Madrid released an official statement on Sunday, confirming that Carvajal had “sustained a strain to his right gastrocnemius muscle”. A source with knowledge of the situation told The Athletic (TA) that the Spanish international is expected to need a four-to-five-week recovery period. The source requested anonymity as they were not authorized to speak publicly about the injury.
This timeline means Carvajal will likely miss El Clásico against Barcelona on October 26, as well as the Champions League group stage match against Juventus on October 22. So far this season, Carvajal has only missed one game for Real Madrid. His injury, combined with Arnold’s ongoing absence due to a hamstring issue, leaves the club facing a shortage of genuine right-backs in the upcoming fixture list.
According to a September 17 report from Camel Live, Arnold was substituted just five minutes into Real Madrid’s opening Champions League match this season—a 2-1 win over Marseille—and was later diagnosed with a six-to-eight-week layoff. Carvajal also received a red card late in that game. At the time, head coach Xabi Alonso stated that the team needed to “find creative solutions for the right-back position”.
During Carvajal’s suspension following his red card against Marseille, and in the 4-1 away win over Levante (a match Carvajal did not make the squad for), Raúl Asensio filled in as a makeshift right-back. The La Fábrica graduate also featured three times in that position last season, against Atalanta (Champions League), Valladolid (La Liga), and Real Sociedad (first leg of the Copa del Rey semi-finals).
As for Fede Valverde, he played as a right-back 15 times last season under former manager Carlo Ancelotti. With the Uruguayan having returned to midfield this season, sources close to the player revealed last month that while Valverde is always willing to help the coach out—his priority is to play rather than get hung up on his position—he would prefer to settle permanently in midfield starting this season.
Over the next four weeks, in addition to Champions League matches against Kairat Almaty and Juventus, Real Madrid will also face Villarreal on October 4 and Getafe on October 19. A week after El Clásico, they will take on Valencia.
Besides Carvajal, central defender Éder Militão also picked up an injury in Saturday’s Derby and will miss Tuesday’s Champions League game against Kairat Almaty. However, the Brazilian defender’s absence is not expected to be lengthy.
