Madrid: Star Real Madrid right-back Dani Carvajal suffered a knee injury during the Madrid's last match in La Liga against Villarreal.
The Spaniard has been leading the Los Blancos back line for many years and his injury will be a setback for the Spanish club.
Against Villarreal, Real Madrid clinched a 2-0 win to bag three crucial points as Federico Valverde and Vinicius Junior etched their name on the scoresheet.
Earlier on Sunday, Real Madrid released a statement and said that Carvajal has a ruptured popliteus tendon in his right leg and has to undergo surgery in the upcoming days.
"Following tests carried out on Dani Carvajal by the Real Madrid Medical Services, the player has been diagnosed with a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament, a ruptured external collateral ligament and a ruptured popliteus tendon in his right leg. He will undergo surgery in the coming days," Real Madrid stated.
Speaking after the end of the match against Villarreal, the Los Blancos head coach Carlo Ancelotti said that Carvajal's injury will effect the whole team.
"When something like this happens to a player like Dani, who is always motivated, it affects all the players and the whole team. We have to respond. Last year we reacted very well to the injuries we had and this year we have to make a further effort to ensure that the injuries serve as a source of motivation for the rest of the squad, as was the case last year," Ancelotti was quoted by Real Madrid's official website as saying.
With Real Madrid Carvajal has amassed 26 trophies in 427 games: Champions League (6), Club World Cup (5), Uefa Super Cup (5), LaLiga titles (4), Copa del Rey (2) and Spanish Super Cups (4). Carvajal is one of only five players to have won 6 European Cups. At Wembley, on 1 June, he was named Player of the Match of the Champions League final, when Real Madrid clinched their 15th European Cup.
In their upcoming match, Real Madrid will take on Celta Vigo in La Liga on October 20.