Real Madrid Suffer Devastating Injury Blow With Liverpool Clash Looming

Real Madrid confirmed that captain Dani Carvajal sustained a knee injury just one day after El Clásico, which will rule him out of the upcoming match against Liverpool at Anfield and potentially for the remainder of 2025. The right-back, who had recently returned from a calf injury in Sunday's 2–1 victory over Barcelona, experienced discomfort during the match and underwent further medical tests on Monday.

The club announced in a statement that Carvajal has been diagnosed with a loose body in his right knee joint and will undergo an arthroscopy. Although Real Madrid did not provide a specific recovery timeline, reports from The Athletic indicate the 33-year-old could be sidelined for the rest of the calendar year.

This injury affects the same knee in which Carvajal ruptured two ligaments and a tendon in October 2024, leading to a nine-month recovery period before his return at the FIFA Club World Cup. After featuring regularly at the start of the 2025–26 season, he suffered a calf injury in the Madrid derby, which kept him out until El Clásico, where he played only 18 minutes before this new setback.

If Carvajal misses the rest of 2025, he will be absent for at least 10 matches, including key fixtures such as a La Liga home game against Valencia on November 1 and an away Champions League match against Liverpool on November 4.