Real Madrid’s Injury Woes Continue Ahead of Atletico Madrid Derby Clash

Real Madrid continues to grapple with a series of crucial injuries at the outset of the La Liga campaign, and their upcoming derby clash with Atletico Madrid is unlikely to provide much relief.

While Dani Ceballos and Ferland Mendy have recently returned to fitness, the absence of Eder Militao, Thibaut Courtois, Arda Guler, and Vinicius Junior compounds the team’s injury woes. Additionally, Dani Carvajal, who missed the 1-0 win over Union Berlin due to a muscle strain, has now been officially ruled out of the Atletico match following a scan conducted on Thursday morning.

Manager Carlo Ancelotti remains hopeful that Carvajal will recover in time for the subsequent fixture against Las Palmas, where Real Madrid hosts the Canary Islanders. Carvajal, often a target of criticism by Real Madrid fans in recent seasons, has notably excelled in the current campaign, emerging as a key attacking asset by providing width and depth on the flank.

Lucas Vazquez is expected to fill in for Carvajal in the derby clash, although Ancelotti might consider Nacho Fernandez as a more defensive option. Nonetheless, it remains challenging to replicate the impact that Carvajal brings to the team.