Dani Carvajal left a Real Madrid youth team player injured for a month, amid his growing frustrations at the club this season, according to a report.
Despite being promoted to club captain in the summer, 34-year-old Carvajal has endured a difficult campaign at his boyhood club.
The man who scored the winning goal in the 2024 Champions League final has been reduced to a bit-part role following his serious knee injury last year, while the signing of Trent Alexander-Arnold and versatility of Federico Valverde has meant fierce competition for game time.
In total, Carvajal has made just 12 La Liga appearances so far this season and has not started once in the Champions League—though he has made five outings from the bench.
As reported by MARCA, Carvajal is finding his new role “difficult to accept” and is unlikely to be offered a contract extension beyond this summer when his current terms expire.
Carvajal Lashes Out Over Bench Time
This has all led to “dark days” for the veteran right back, with tensions boiling over in recent weeks.
According to the report, Carvajal reacted angrily to being left on Madrid’s bench for the win over Rayo Vallecano in February, while his feelings were only intensified when youth team star David Jiménez was given the right back starting spot against Valencia a week later.
MARCA’s report makes the explosive claim that Carvajal’s frustrations boiled over in a training session when a “very nasty tackle” made in a “fit of anger” left youth team defender Victor Valdepeñas with a knee injury that kept the 19-year-old sidelined for a month.
Despite face-to-face meetings between Carvajal and head coach Álvaro Arbeloa, game time has not improved substantially for the club captain, with Alexander-Arnold preferred in the Champions League quarterfinal first leg defeat to Bayern Munich.
Notably, Carvajal did receive a standing ovation from the adoring home fans for his display in the 3–2 Madrid derby win last month. However, that remains his last outing for the club.
More Headaches for Arbeloa
No entiendo las vueltas que le dais a las cosas.
— Raúl Asencio (@RaulAsencio_17) April 9, 2026
El Míster es el que manda, pone y quita a los jugadores.
Tengo el máximo respeto hacia él y todo mis compañeros.
Un saludo a todos y Hala Madrid🤍 https://t.co/cznE2rwn8V
Carvajal is not the only Madrid defender to clash with Arbeloa, amid reports that Raúl Asencio was dropped for several games over his recent conduct.
When asked by fans why he wasn’t playing, Asencio replied: “You should ask Arbeloa about that ... "
He later attempted to clarify his comment on social media, posting: “I don’t understand the fuss you all make about things. The manager is the one in charge, he puts the players in and takes them out. I have the utmost respect for him and all my teammates.”
World Cup Doubts Adding to Carvajal Frustrations
Officially vice-captain for the national team, Carvajal was not called up for Spain to face Serbia and Egypt during the March internationals, with his place at this summer’s World Cup now in some doubt.
Instead, national team head coach Luis de la Fuente opted for Marcos Llorente and Pedro Porro as his right back options, while he was candid about Carvajal’s prospects of regaining his spot.
“Hopefully, Dani will recover the form he showed at the Euros,” he said. “[Carvajal and Álvaro Morata] need to play, get back to their usual level, and then they’ll be with us."
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Angry Dani Carvajal Left Teammate Injured With ‘Very Nasty Tackle’.
