Real Madrid to be without captain for Real Betis – hope for Spanish Supercup | OneFootball

Real Madrid will be unable to count on their captain Dani Carvajal for their return to action in 2026, with the veteran right-back not quite recovering in time to face Real Betis this weekend. The 33-year-old has missed the majority of the season with a knee injury.

Carvajal went down at the start of November after twisting his knee, and underwent surgery to correct the issue. Ruled out initially for two months, it was hoped that he would recover for the beginning of 2026, and there was even a suggestion he could be back in the squad for their final game of 2025 against Sevilla.

Carvajal racing to be back for Spanish Supercup

Despite that, Carvajal will not feature against Real Betis on Sunday, as per Diario AS. The veteran is not taking any risks, and instead is hoping to be back in shape for their Spanish Supercup semi-final against Atletico Madrid next week. Los Blancos take on their city rivals next Thursday in Saudi Arabia, and would face one of Athletic Club or Barcelona in a potential final. It does mean that Fede Valverde will likely reprise his role at right-back against Betis, and potentially in Saudi Arabia, depending on how much action Carvajal is deemed to be ready for.

Image via Getty Images

Mixed injury news for Real Madrid

There is more positive news elsewhere, with David Alaba, Ferland Mendy, Eduardo Camavinga and Valverde are all set to be fit after the break, after dealing with muscle issues. The negative is that Kylian Mbappe looks as if he will be absent for the Supercup, after suffering a twisted knee in training earlier this week.

Mbappe joins Eder Militao and Trent Alexander-Arnold on the sidelines, who are not expected to be back before March and February respectively. Defensive injuries have been a sore point for Alonso this season, and any path to success likely requires a run of fitness from their defensive starters.