Real Madrid handed huge injury boost as 33-year-old star returns to training after lengthy spell on sidelines: Reports

Real Madrid have received a huge transfer boost as Dani Carvajal has returned to individual training on grass. The Spaniard has been out for over six months due to an ACL injury.

Carvajal suffered an ACL injury in Los Blancos' 2-0 win over Villarreal on October 6, 2024. He underwent surgery and was ruled out for the remainder of the 2024-25 campaign. With just two games remaining, he is unlikely to feature this season for the club.

However, as per the Madrid Zone, Carvajal has started training on grass with the ball. He is still in individual training, but there are clear signs of progress. He will look to get back into action by the FIFA Club World Cup, which will start in June this year.

Carvajal, 33, has been a huge miss for Real Madrid, who have gone through a disappointing 2024-25 campaign by their standards. They have won the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Intercontinental Cup, but those are the only two trophies they will win.

Los Blancos were eliminated from the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals by Arsenal. They lost in the Copa del Rey and Supercopa de Espana finals against arch-rivals Barcelona. They are also seven points behind Barca in the LaLiga title race with three games remaining.

Carlo Ancelotti on Real Madrid's defeat in El Clasico against Barcelona

Los Blancos have lost all four El Clasico this season against Barcelona. The latest of them came in LaLiga at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys on Sunday. A Kylian Mbappe brace (5' (p), 14') put Real Madrid 2-0 up.

However, Barcelona turned it around in the first half itself. Eric Garcia (19'), Lamine Yamal (32'), and Raphinha (34', 45') made it 4-2. Mbappe completed his hat-trick in the 70th minute but couldn't help his side avoid defeat.

After the game, Carlo Ancelotti assessed Los Blancos' performance, saying (via Managing Madrid):

“In a match of this level, you have to defend well and attack well. We attacked well, but in those 30 minutes, we made defensive errors that cost us the game.”

“They did well. Every chance we had up front was clear because we attacked well behind them. We scored three and were offside twice. We had clear ideas in attack, but I don’t think we defended well. We mustn’t forget that we were missing five defenders, we mustn’t forget that.”

Real Madrid will next face Mallorca at home on Wednesday, May 14.

About the author

Aditya has been working as a European football journalist and editor for Sportskeeda for close to 3 years. He boasts a total experience of over 6 years, and always aims to inculcate proper context in his articles, making the most of his prior stints in writing and marketing across a number of different industries over the years. He has also played football at college level for 2 years.

A B.Tech. graduate, Aditya's journey as an ardent football fan began after watching the elegant maestro Zinedine Zidane in the 2006 FIFA World Cup, and his infamous headbutt on Marco Materazzi in the final. He has been a fan of Tottenham Hotspur's front foot and creative football since 2008 and connect's with the club's underdog status.

Aditya, who is a Sportskeeda 'Long-form Editor of the Month' award winner, is a big admirer of Luka Modric's elegant and hard-working style of play. His favorite manager is Carlo Ancelotti because the Italian allows his players enough freedom in an age where micromanagement is the established norm.

Aditya feels Jude Bellingham and Jamal Musiala could replicate the Messi-Ronaldo rivalry due to their incredible collective potential. In his free time, he likes to read classical fiction, travel to places, and explore a variety of foods.

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Edited by Aditya Singh