Official: Worst fear of Real Madrid confirmed as star defender diagnosed with ACL injury | OneFootball

Dani Carvajal was the big casualty in Real Madrid’s 2-0 win over Villarreal on Saturday night.

The veteran defender over-extended knee after a collision with Yeremy Pino, leading to fears of a serious injury.

Reports shortly after the game suggested that Carvajal would be ruled out for the entire season.

Real Madrid confirm Carvajal’s ACL injury

Now, after carrying out tests, Real Madrid have confirmed Dani Carvajal’s injury is indeed as bad as predicted.

The club have confirmed the defender has picked up an ACL injury and will undergo surgery in the coming days.

“Following tests carried out on our player Dani Carvajal, he has been diagnosed with a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament, a rupture of the external collateral ligament and a rupture of the popliteal tendon in his right leg,” the statement read.

Carvajal picked up an ACL knock against Villarreal (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images)

How long will Carvajal be out for?

Real Madrid, as usual, did not provide an exact time frame regarding Carvajal’s return to fitness.

However, given the severity of the injury, coupled with an impending surgery, the defender can easily miss up to eight to ten months.

That means the veteran right-back will not play again until next season, which will serve as a major blow for coach Carlo Ancelotti.

The Italian has minimal options to replace him at right-back, but it will be interesting to see whether or not Real Madrid exercise their financial firepower to reinforce their ranks in the upcoming January transfer window.