A new hot potato in the Real Madrid dressing room

BarcelonaSix-time Champions League winner, four-time La Liga winner, five-time European Super Cup winner, two-time Copa del Rey winner, five-time Club World Cup winner, four-time Spanish Super Cup winner, and now, a golden substitute at Real Madrid. Things have changed drastically for Dani Carvajal this season. He went from being an undisputed starter at right-back under Xabi Alonso to being relegated to the sidelines under Álvaro Arbeloa. His glory days are behind him. Despite being a fundamental pillar of Real Madrid for the last decade, the new manager doesn't count on him. Carvajal's contract expires this summer. At 34, the Real Madrid captain's physical condition has deteriorated considerably. The right knee injury he suffered in October has left him severely hampered: he had to undergo arthroscopic surgery due to a loose body in the joint and was sidelined for two months. It was a second blow to his right knee, where he had already suffered a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament and the lateral collateral ligament last season. He was expected to return to the pitch for the Super Cup, but Xabi Alonso, who didn't think he was ready, decided not to risk it.

The Super Cup marked Xabi's farewell and Arbeloa's arrival. It also meant Carvajal was sidelined from the start. In the new manager's debut against Albacete, he brought him on with 13 minutes remaining, a very short time for a player accustomed to playing 90 minutes. Even so, he was involved in the final goal, unable to stop Jefté Betancor's attack, the scorer of the goal that eliminated Real Madrid. After that match, he only played 14 more minutes in the Champions League game against Monaco, when Real Madrid had already secured the victory.

Carvajal's discontent with Arbeloa was evident in the last league match. At the end of the 0-2 defeat at Mestalla, social media picked up on a video recorded by Guillermo Rai, a journalist from The Athleticwhere the full-back was seen arguing with Antonio Pintus, Real Madrid's fitness coach, angry at not having played a single minute. "I'll be very clear. I see Dani improving in training, little by little. Obviously, I don't intend to take any risks. When we had days off, he was at Valdebebas working. Inside the dressing room, I don't need to explain how important he is. He's the first thing that comes up before matches. He'll find his best form," Arbeloa declared in the post-match press conference.

Despite the coach's comments, it's common knowledge that the relationship between Carvajal, unable to understand his benching, and the coach may be broken. "I want to believe there are no personal reasons. During their playing days, they competed for the same position, but Real Madrid must always prioritize the good of the team. It wouldn't make sense to sacrifice a player like Carvajal for a personal matter," declared Alfonso Pérez, a former player who played for both Real Madrid and Barça, in statements to ARA.

The former Real Madrid striker is puzzled by the full-back's repeated benchings. He also wonders why, against Valencia, Arbeloa preferred to bring on Trent or David Jiménez, a youth academy player, ahead of him. "Arnold was coming back from an injury, and perhaps the most sensible thing would have been to gradually reintroduce Carvajal so he could regain his rhythm and confidence. For now, if he's fully fit, there isn't a better right-back at Real Madrid than him," argues the former striker. "If Trent were consistently at his peak, it could be seen as a gamble that Carvajal isn't being treated as a captain with his track record deserves."

The next point of reflection is this Saturday against Real Sociedad (9 pm, Movistar LaLiga). The San Sebastián side visits the Santiago Bernabéu in a match that could either definitively put an end to the rumors surrounding the Carvajal case or add fuel to the fire. Carvajal has his sights set on playing in the World Cup. Without playing time or match fitness, it's highly unlikely he'll be included in the squad.