Carvajal talks Alonso, Vinicius, recovery period, Lamine Yamal, Ballon d’Or – ‘When he’s focused, he’s unstoppable’ | OneFootball

Real Madrid defender Dani Carvajal is back smiling again after a difficult spell on the sidelines.

The right-back suffered a serious knee injury against Villarreal last season, an ordeal that kept him out for months and tested his resilience.

Now, after working his way back to full fitness, Carvajal has returned both for Real Madrid and the Spanish national team, where he hopes to be an important figure once again, just as he was during the European Championship triumph under Luis de la Fuente.

On benching Vinicius

In an interview with Cadena SER, Carvajal looked back on his recovery journey and spoke about the current situation at both club and national level.

One of the big talking points was Vinicius Jr. being left on the bench during the second match of La Liga against Oviedo.

“The coach has an idea of having 17-20 players in rotation. He wants everyone to be fresh.

“We all have to understand that the player who comes out for 30 minutes is going to be even more important, like Vini the other day with a goal and an assist.

“The player who comes out for half an hour and goes wrong is harmful. I think it’s good that a player doesn’t feel undisputed,” Carvajal explained.

The Madrid full-back also stressed how much Vinicius means to the dressing room.

“We’ve spoken a lot with him and told him to be calm and to focus on the game. When he’s focused, he’s unstoppable. For us, he’s very important.”

Overcoming the injury

Dani Carvajal overcame a lenghty injury. (Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images)

Carvajal did not hide how tough his injury was. He admitted it had been the hardest setback of his career.

“This has been the worst. The recovery is long. I returned to compete for a little while in the Club World Cup because the match went as it did, but it has been ten months.

“(Postoperative) A lot of pain, many hours in bed… I went down to eat and barely lasted ten minutes sitting,” he revealed.

Thoughts on Lamine Yamal

Beyond his own struggles, Carvajal also came to the defence of Barcelona starlet Lamine Yamal, who at just 18 years old has become a key player.

“From the moment I arrived, I have seen him as always. It hasn’t changed from when we were together last year, both in the build-up to the Euro and in the championship.

“People have to understand that it is complicated. He is a boy who is 18 years old and who is already a reference in a club like FC Barcelona, which is one of the best in the world.

“He’s making a difference, he’s signed an important contract, his impact has gone up a lot, and well, in the end, he’s not easy to manage either.”

Calling for caution

Carvajal praised Yamal’s potential but reminded everyone of the challenges of being so young in football.

“He will make mistakes, as we have all made. But, in the end, if you perform on the pitch, you give your all and then you have the quality he has, which is undoubted, because in the end he can be a player who can mark an era.

“He may be among the candidates for the Ballon d’Or. In the end, let’s not forget that he is 18 years old, that I was at 18 at Castilla, so it is very difficult to make a difference at that age in professional football.

“Since I’m not going to vote, I’m not going to give it to anyone because I’m not the captain,” he concluded.