Real Madrid won 2-0 against Villareal in La Liga on Saturday, but were dealt with a huge injury blow. Dani Carvajal overextended his knee in the closing stages of the game, and has torn his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). This marked Real Madrid’s ninth ACL injury in a year.
Carvajal cried out loudly, clutching his knee as he collapsed on the grass in visible agony. The Santiago Bernabeu fell silent, with the crowd fearing the worst.
The fact that Carvajal is in so much pain that we can hear his screams on the broadcast, truly horrific injury.pic.twitter.com/67omHJLGDP
— Football Report (@FootballReprt) October 5, 2024
Sadly, their fears were confirmed when Carvajal announced on Instagram that he had torn his cruciate ligament and would be undergoing surgery, followed by months of rehabilitation.
This injury means Carvajal — a key figure for both Real Madrid and Spain — is set to miss most, if not all, of the season.
In August 2023, reports from Valdebebas (Real Madrid’s training complex) revealed that Thibaut Courtois had suffered an ACL injury and would be sidelined for months. Los Blancos fans thought that would be the worst of it, but they were wrong.
Just weeks later, Eder Militao sustained the same injury during Real Madrid’s opening night victory over Athletic Club at San Mames.
Later in the season, another star center-back, David Alaba, tore his ACL — an injury from which he still hasn’t recovered.
9 ACL injuries in last 13 months.💔 pic.twitter.com/LreNt82A32
— Madrid Zone (@theMadridZone) October 6, 2024
The women’s team was also hit by injuries, with Caroline Weir and Carla Camacho both suffering ligament damage. They have only recently returned to first-team action.
The academy (Castilla) wasn’t spared either. Highly talented players Cesar Palacios and Joan Martinez injured their ACLs ahead of the 2024/25 season. Now, Carvajal will join them in the recovery process.
