Real Madrid topped Villarreal on Saturday by a 2-0 score in what should have been an emphatic and confidence-building victory.
Federico Valverde had an outstanding match with the opening goal and provided the assist on the second, a glittering long-distance stunner from Vinicius Jr. to seal the match.
Instead, Los Blancos have heavy hearts as they were forced to watch a longtime club legend and critical component of their success over the last decade stretchered off in significant pain with an injury that surely will leave him sidelined for a significant amount of time, potentially the entire season.
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With just seconds left in second-half stoppage time, Dani Carvajal's challenge from behind on Villarreal substitute Yeremy Pino left him in a heap on the ground in agony. A replay of the incident showed Carvajal's right knee contact Pino's right calf, causing his leg to hyperextend to a grotesque extent, immediately stoking fears of a long-term absence.
After extensive on-field treatment, Carvajal was stretchered off with his head in his hands as the rest of the team watched with concern.
After the match, Carlo Ancelotti was non-committal on the 32-year-old's injury, but you could tell there was genuine worry from the Italian boss. "It looks a potentially serious one," Ancelotti said. "The doctor told me it's a knee injury. We still don't know what precisely. There will be more tests."
Media reports showed Carvajal leaving the stadium on the ambulance on his way to the hospital.
Lucas Vazquez sounds like the likely replacement for Carvajal at right-back in the short-term, but Ancelotti said they will assess their options in the international break to decide whether they want to hit the transfer market in the winter.
"Lucas gives us a lot of confidence," Ancelotti said. "During this break we have time to talk about this time, taking into account that the market is closed and there are not many options."
To make matters worse, Carvajal wasn't the only critical player to come off injured for Real Madrid. Vinicus Jr. was also withdrawn, yanked in the 79th minute of the match and replaced by Arda Guler. After the game, Ancelotti said he was suffering from lumbar pain of some kind but would not elaborate further.
"Vinicius Jr is in pain and will undergo tests in the next hours," Ancelotti said after the match. "His neck is blocked, he has suffered a problem and that’s something we need to check with the medical staff."
