Frank Christian
Real Madrid’s hopes of maintaining their La Liga and Champions League titles took a significant hit this past weekend as Dani Carvajal sustained a grave knee injury during the team’s 2-0 victory over Villarreal.
The club captain has torn both his anterior cruciate ligament and external collateral ligament, along with suffering tendon damage, which will keep him sidelined for the remainder of the season.
The defensive options in Carlo Ancelotti’s lineup are limited, with only Lucas Vazquez serving as an experienced alternative in the defense.
However, calling Vazquez a true defender may be misleading, as he is primarily known for his career as a winger and has only occasionally filled in at right-back in recent times.
Real Madrid has been linked with potential transfers in January to bolster their defense, with Trent Alexander-Arnold being mentioned as a highly sought-after target, though his mid-season availability remains uncertain.
Despite the speculation, Madrid’s sports daily AS indicates that Ancelotti is inclined to trust Vazquez for the entirety of the 2024/25 season.
The report suggests that Vazquez has proven his reliability when playing in a right-back role and deserves the chance to contribute further.
At the age of 33, Vazquez could be heading for the most demanding season of his professional journey, having previously only started 30 La Liga matches in a single season during his loan at Espanyol in 2014/15.
