You know what they say – when it rains, it pours.
And right now, dark clouds appear to be gathering over the Santiago Bernabeu after Real Madrid’s humiliating 5-2 defeat to city rivals Atletico Madrid last weekend.
Xabi Alonso’s perfect start to life in La Liga was halted by a rampaging Atletico side, who, led by Julian Alvarez, tore through Los Blancos with ease.
But beyond the bruising scoreline, Madrid’s problems have deepened with a fresh defensive blow that has sidelined one of their key players for up to a month.
Who’s out injured for Madrid?
Real Madrid’s defensive crisis worsened after Dani Carvajal suffered a calf injury during the Madrid derby, ruling him out for around four weeks.
With former Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold already out for up to eight weeks, Los Blancos now find themselves without a single fit natural right-back, forcing Alonso into yet another tactical reshuffle ahead of a daunting run of fixtures.
Madrid confirmed on Sunday (September 28) that captain Carvajal sustained a muscle injury in his right leg during the defeat to Atletico.
The 32-year-old is expected to miss roughly a month of action, joining summer arrival Alexander-Arnold on the sidelines.
The England international remains in recovery from a hamstring issue and isn’t expected to return until late November, leaving Madrid severely short-handed in defense.
Carvajal medical report.
— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) September 28, 2025
What once looked like a solved problem, following the summer arrival of Alexander-Arnold and Carvajal’s earlier return from injury, has suddenly re-emerged as a major headache for Alonso.
Midfielder Fede Valverde, who has deputized at right-back on many occasions in the past, could be forced to step in once more, while Raul Asencio remains an option Alonso has sometimes preferred.
The timing of Carvajal’s injury couldn’t be worse, coming just weeks before the first Clasico of the season on October 26.
After Tuesday’s (September 30) Champions League clash against Kairat Almaty, Madrid face a demanding stretch of games — including Getafe (A), Juventus (H), Barcelona (H), Valencia (H), and Liverpool (A).
With both full-backs unlikely to be fit in time, Alonso is now forced to navigate one of the most challenging phases of Madrid’s season without a natural option on the right side of defense.
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