The Real Madrid confirmed the injury to Dani Carvajal: a fracture in a toe on his right foot. This setback rules him out of the match against Espanyol and also El Clásico, but the real concern goes far beyond the club calendar. The injury directly impacts one of his main goals: playing in the FIFA World Cup.

The estimated recovery time is around two weeks, but the context is not on his side. Carvajal has not enjoyed the expected minutes this season, putting him in a complicated position ahead of the final squad list from Luis de la Fuente, with Spain arriving at the World Cup as one of the favorites.

A season disrupted by injuries and competition

The right-back’s season has been heavily affected by physical problems. Between muscle injuries and knee discomfort, he has already missed 16 matches. If we add the games in which he remained on the bench due to a tactical decision by Arbeloa, who has favored Trent Alexander-Arnold, the total rises to 31 matches without action.

In recent friendlies for Spain against Serbia and Egypt, he was not part of the squad either, and it now appears that his place has been taken by Marcos Llorente. Carvajal has always been an important player for Luis de la Fuente. During the UEFA European Championship, which Spain won, he was a starter in every match, but his physical issues began after his ligament rupture in the knee, and since then he has struggled to regain consistency with La Roja.

After returning from that injury, he only played against Bulgaria in the qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup. However, the discomfort returned and he has not been regularly called up since. That match took place in September 2025.

Now Carvajal is racing against time. He needs to recover, gain minutes, and convince the national team coach that he can still contribute in what could be his last World Cup. The challenge is significant, especially with the strong form shown by Marcos Llorente and Pedro Porro in that position.

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