Real Madrid CF is dealing with an ever-growing injury list very early in the 2021-22 season. The latest blow came during the club's 2-1 victory against Valencia at the Mestalla stadium on Sunday evening. Dani Carvajal was forced off the match after only 25 minutes on the pitch, giving fans a reason to worry considering how his season went in the previous campaign.

The right-back started the current season on the sidelines while recovering from a previous injury. He came back to play against Levante on August 22, and has since featured in a total of five matches for Los Blancos.

He did walk off the pitch instead of being stretchered out, giving an indication that his substitution may have only been done as a precaution. However, it is a worrisome incident every time a player leaves the pitch so early in a match, even more so for someone who has been dealing with nagging injuries in the past year.

Lucas Vazquez took over from Carvajal, and more news should be forthcoming about the defender's condition.

Carlo Ancelotti will not like the development even if it is a minor knock. He already has six injured players, and is using Eden Hazard with extreme caution. If Carvajal does return soon, Ancelotti will have another player that he needs to manage well in order to avoid a relapse.

Last season, Carvajal endured a nightmare especially after he exacerbated a previous injury by trying to come back to help the squad get through the final crucial stretch of the season. He endured a total of five injuries throughout the 2020-21 campaign, which saw him miss out on 36 out of 52 matches in total. He was out of action for 190 days, and this season may be heading in the same direction.

As of now, Real Madrid's injury list has become alarming, with the likes of Toni Kroos, Dani Ceballos, Mariano Diaz, Ferland Mendy, Marcelo and Gareth Bale also out of action.

Nevertheless, Real Madrid are sitting at the top of the La Liga table. They have managed well so far, with new signing Eduardo Camavinga excelling in his first few appearances. The attack is functioning well, with Vinicius Junior teaming up with Karim Benzema for a formidable offence.

Ancelotti knows he needs to rotate players, but with limited options, he is lucky to have immense quality on the Real Madrid bench.

Dani Carvajal
Dani Carvajal was a key player for Zinedine Zidane. Getty
Real Madrid