When Trent Alexander-Arnold fell to a sudden injury, the signs appeared clear that it was Dani Carvajal’s time to shine and step up.
After all, the Spaniard had just returned after an year-long injury and the stage appeared set for him to earn regular minutes.
The veteran himself, however, soon suffered a setback of his own that kept him out of action, forcing Xabi Alonso to operate for close to three weeks without a natural right-back.
Now, both Alexander-Arnold and Carvajal are on the cusp of recovery. The former is expected to return to the squad against Juventus midweek and the latter was initially supposedly to to return for El Clasico at the weekend.
As relayed by MARCA in a recent report, Carvajal’s availability for El Clasico is not yet confirmed or anywhere close to guaranteed.
There are indeed chances of him making a return, but it cannot be assured.
Given the player’s age and recent injury record, Alonso will undoubtedly prefer to tread down the road of caution and ensure Carvajal is back to complete fitness before making a return on the field.
In that sense, no risks will be taken in a high-stakes game like El Clasico.
It is positive enough for Alonso that Trent Alexander-Arnold will be back for the game against Barcelona.
With the English star likely available as a starter, there is no reason the coach will push for Carvajal’s participation on the night, especially given that he will be relatively rusty.
One can thus realistically expect the captain to make his actual return to the field against Valencia a week after the Clasico when the pressure will be lower and conditions more conducive.