Dani Carvajal was neither a starter against Rayo Vallecano nor did he even come off the bench. Since Álvaro Arbeloa took over, the Spanish full-back seems to have vanished from the new Madrid coach’s plans.
However, he has been training with the team since the January return and hoped to get some playing time, especially during the Supercopa de España. But at that moment, Xabi Alonso chose to play it safe, opting for Fede Valverde, who was deemed physically more reliable.
So far, the caution made sense for a player returning from injury. But a month later, the situation raises eyebrows: Carvajal still hasn’t regained a starting spot and has only played a few minutes against Albacete in the Copa del Rey under Arbeloa.
In a Real Madrid searching for stability and leadership, the captain’s return could add real value. The problem is that Valverde keeps delivering solid performances in that position. Even more surprising, Carvajal hasn’t even been getting minutes off the bench, while Trent Alexander-Arnold could already be in the squad for the trip to Valencia this weekend.
“Patience is not the ability to wait, but the ability to keep a good attitude while waiting.” That’s the message Dani Carvajal shared on Instagram, along with a photo of him in the gym. It speaks volumes about his mindset as he waits for his moment, claiming he is fully fit.
On his part, Álvaro Arbeloa has recently calmed the waters. The Madrid coach explained that he doesn’t want to rush things, while acknowledging that he sees his full-back improving day by day in training: “He still needs a bit more time to be at his best,” he admitted.
