Real Madrid veteran’s recovery and fitness after serious injury ‘surprises’ club and national team staff | OneFootball

Dani Carvajal’s absence was a key reason behind Real Madrid’s subpar season in 2024/25, with the club captain getting sidelined due to a serious ACL injury.

Having undergone surgery and worked extremely hard on his recovery, the 33-year-old right-back is back in action already and has not skipped a beat since returning.

Carvajal amazes Real Madrid and Spain staff

So much so that, according to MARCA, Real Madrid’s medical staff and physiotherapists are surprised by the physical level he has reached at the start of this season. The same has been said within the Spanish national team camp.

“He is a competitive animal.” That is the common response when people talk about Carvajal, whether at Las Rozas or Valdebebas.

The severity of Carvajal’s injury last year sparked fears for the career of a player who will turn 34 years old in January.

Back fit and firing. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

But the months of hard work and sacrifice seem to have paid off, as he is already putting pressure on Trent Alexander-Arnold for the starting berth at Real Madrid and has returned to the Spanish national team.

Challenges ahead for Carvajal

After months of injury and recovery, Carvajal now faces a season with two unique challenges.

With Real Madrid, the club captain has the chance to become European champion for the seventh time, a record unmatched in football history – he currently shares the record of six European Cups with Paco Gento, Luka Modric, Toni Kroos and Nacho Fernandez.

The other great challenge is the one missing from his Spain career: the FIFA World Cup. The tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico next year will be his third after 2018 and 2022.

Having helped La Roja lift the UEFA Euro 2024, the 33-year-old right-back will be gunning to lift the biggest prize in international football come next year.