Six-time CL winner warned he has 50% chance of recovering from horror injury

REAL MADRID legend Dani Carvajal has just a 50 PER CENT chance of recovering from his serious knee injury, according to a top doctor.

The Spaniard, 32, won his sixth Champions League last season and also triumphed at the Euros.

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But his season was ended during Real Madrid’s 2-0 win over Villarreal on Saturday after he ruptured his cruciate ligament, external collateral ligament and popliteal tendon.

Doctor Pablo Gelber, founder and president of the European Knee Society’s Lateral Knee Injuries Committee, has now given his take on Carvajal’s injury – which left the defender in tears.

He confirmed it will take a minimum of 12 months to recover and also shockingly revealed the right-back only has between a 50 and 60 per cent chance of getting back to his optimum level.

Speaking to Marca, Dr Gelber said: “Of all the factors for returning to sport, the time since surgery is perhaps the least important. It is a necessary factor, but by no means sufficient. In this case, I would not speak of less than 12 months of recovery.

“And another issue is the return to the same sporting level, which, speaking in cold numbers, is not more than 50 or 60 per cent.

“A negative factor is that footballers tend to have varus legs, as we technically call it. It basically refers to having bowed legs, as Rivaldo, for example, had in a very pronounced way.

“This fact is a negative factor for the successful recovery of these injuries, because it puts the ligaments that are being reconstructed under a lot of stress, potentially stretching them to levels that make the surgery fail.

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New Champions League format is a snorefest

By Dan King

UEFA sold the idea of expanding the Champions League from 32 to 36 teams, with each playing eight games instead of six in the opening phase, as a way of creating more competitiveness and excitement.

The biggest clubs would have two matches against their peers, rather than having to wait until the knockout stage to meet.

The smaller clubs would meet teams of a similar level twice and have a chance of tasting victory that was so hard to achieve if you were the bottom seed in a group of four.

Ignoring for a moment the fact that the real motivation was the simple equation of more games = more money, the theory itself already looks flawed.

None of the matches between European giants has delivered a compelling contest yet.

And why would they? At the start of the long season with more matches in it, why would any team with ambitions to win things in the spring, go out all guns blazing in the autumn?

Especially when they know they have six games NOT against big sides to make sure they accrue enough points to qualify at least for the play-off round (and even more games).

There is even less jeopardy than before.

Read the full column on the Champions League format fail and why everyone – including YOU – needs a rethink.

“In normal people, we often correct this deviation of the leg to avoid this potential failure, especially in cases that have been going on for some time since the injury.

“But in a professional footballer, this correction of the shape of the legs is totally contraindicated, because it would mean the end of a footballer’s career.

“On the other hand, the mental state in such serious injuries is of vital importance, because frustration, fears and negative thoughts can undermine optimal recovery.”

Real Madrid made the classy decision to extend Carvajal’s contract until 2026 following the injury that is set to keep him out for the rest of the campaign.

He has been with Los Blancos since 2002 when he was 10 years old and competed across all of their youth teams.

After a year playing at Bayer Leverkusen, the defender joined Real’s senior team in 2013 and went on to win all major honours, including four LaLiga titles and six Champions Leagues.

He also won Euro 2024 with Spain in the summer, defeating England in the final.