8 ACL injuries and Vinicius blow: Inside Real Madrid’s injury hell

Real Madrid's season has been ravaged by an almost unbelievable injury crisis, with eight anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries hitting both the men's and women's squads in a little over a year.

The latest blow comes with Dani Carvajal, who suffered a devastating injury against Villarreal, and Vinicius Junior, who picked up a less severe knock.

Real Madrid’s veteran full-back Dani Carvajal, is the latest to suffer an ACL injury at Los Blancos, ruling him out for the rest of the season.

In the final stages of Madrid's hard-fought win over Villarreal, Carvajal sustained a serious injury to his right knee, and it was later confirmed that he has ruptured not only his ACL but also his external collateral ligament and popliteal tendon.

The right-back will undergo surgery in the coming days, but his absence creates another void in Carlo Ancelotti's squad, which is already struggling to cope with a spate of similar injuries.

While Carvajal faces a long road to recovery, Vinicius Junior also sustained an injury during the Villarreal match, though thankfully his condition is not as severe.

The Brazilian winger picked up a knock to his cervical spine, but the club hopes he will recover quickly, and with the international break looming, it could serve as an opportunity for Vinicius to miss out on Brazil duty and recover in time for Madrid’s next league game against Celta Vigo.

Real Madrid’s injury woes extend far beyond Carvajal and Vinicius. Since the beginning of last season, the team has seen eight players tear their ACLs, including star goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and defenders Eder Militao and David Alaba.

Rising talents from Real Madrid Castilla like Cesar Palacios, Dani Mesonero, and Joan Martinez have also fallen victim to the same injury, with each suffering long-term layoffs just as they were breaking through.

Even Real Madrid Femenino has been affected, with Scotland international Caroline Weir joining the list of ACL casualties.

This unprecedented injury crisis has left Madrid scrambling to find solutions, and it is hard to overstate the impact these injuries have had on both the men’s and women’s teams.