Muscle injury ends season for Real Madrid defender Carvajal

MADRID - Real Madrid right back Dani Carvajal has said goodbye to the rest of the season after his club on Thursday confirmed he has suffered yet another injury in a season ruined by physical problems.

Carvajal was making just his second appearance after two months out in Madrid's 1-1 draw at home to Chelsea in the Champions League on Tuesday night when he suffered the injury and after tests, the club informed that he has "been diagnosed with an injury to the semimembranosus muscle in his right left".

Although the communique only says Carvajal's "recovery will be monitored," the nature of the problem means he will be sidelined for at least three weeks and will miss the rest of Real Madrid's campaign.

This injury and his injury-affected campaign has limited him to just 13 appearances in La Liga and two in the Champions League and also puts his place in this summer's European Championships in doubt.

With Lucas Vazquez also out for the season with a knee injury, Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane now has to choose whether to move Nacho Fernandez from central defense to the right or to put more faith in Alvaro Odriozola, who he has only used as a last resort, or he could even use midfielder Fede Valverde as a makeshift wingback.

Real Madrid face Osasuna in La Liga on Saturday evening before their vital Champions League semifinal return leg in Stamford Bridge next Wednesday.