Concerned at Real Madrid, the surgeon announces the terrible news in Carvajal

After Dani Carvajal’s severe injury on Sunday against Villarreal, surgeon Pablo Gelber has warned Real Madrid of a serious risk to the player’s right side.

During the match against Villarreal on Saturday, part of the ninth day of LaLiga, Dani Carvajal sustained one of the most significant injuries in football. While attempting to clear the ball against a Villarreal player, the Spanish right-back suffered extreme knee pain, causing alarm. Carvajal, visibly distressed, was carried off the field on a stretcher in tears, and the diagnosis that followed confirmed the worst.

On Sunday morning, Real Madrid released a statement announcing the feared news: “Following the medical examinations performed on our player Dani Carvajal, he has been diagnosed with a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament, a rupture of the external collateral ligament, and a rupture of the popliteal tendon in his right leg. He will undergo surgery in the coming days.”

Surgeon Pablo Gelber provided further grim news for Carvajal. In an interview with *Marca*, Gelber cautioned that Carvajal, now 32 years old, may not fully recover to his previous form, given his age. Gelber expressed doubts about Carvajal’s ability to return to his peak performance post-surgery: “I wouldn’t speak of a recovery period of less than 12 months,” he stated. He also emphasized a key challenge in recovery, saying, “Another issue is returning to the same athletic level, which, in cold statistics, is no higher than 50 or 60%.”
This prognosis is a significant concern for Real Madrid. Despite this, the club had been eager to extend the Spanish international’s contract until 2026, as his current contract was nearing its end. At 32 years old, this injury might spell the end of Carvajal’s career, especially with Real Madrid’s ongoing interest in Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold as a potential replacement.