Real Madrid's challenges intensified as key players Dani Carvajal and Lucas Vazquez sustained injuries during a 4-1 Champions League loss to Ajax, sidelining them for several weeks. The defeat compounded the club's struggles after being eliminated from the Spanish Cup and falling 12 points behind Barcelona in the league.
Croatian midfielder Luka Modric, a Ballon d'Or winner, acknowledged the difficult week but issued a defiant message to teammates. "Success is not about how you fall, it's about how you get up," he wrote on Facebook, urging the squad to regroup.
Carvajal's torn thigh muscle and Vazquez's thigh strain, both reported by Spanish media, could keep them out for a month. The club's 18-year-old Brazilian forward Vinicius Junior also faces a two-month absence after suffering a right ankle ligament rupture during the match.
Carvajal expressed deep frustration following the recent defeats, stating, "I've never felt as sick as this. Everything has gone in one week, and all of it after matches at home." Madrid's next fixture is a league game against Valladolid on Sunday.
