The Bernabéu academy graduate has accepted the challenge of vying with the Brazilian for a first-team spot next season and has no intention of throwing in the towel. He may be a 'Blanco' through and through, but the expression 'white flag' isn't in his vocabulary.
Nevertheless, there is no doubt that the €31 million deal for the Porto right-back throws into question the starting berth that Carvajal has made his own this term, having been rotated with Álvaro Arbeloa practically all last season.
Despite two muscle injuries, the 23-year-old has started 26 games this campaign, almost twice as many as Arbeloa (16), and has been a mainstay on the biggest occasions - the 'Clásicos', the UEFA Super Cup, the Spanish Super Cup and the Club World Cup. The recent Champions League last-16 tie against Schalke was the exception to this rule, with Carvajal only featuring in the first leg and Arbeloa getting the nod in the return match, which turned into a train wreck.Although Danilo's arrival could be viewed as a setback, Carvajal is a man who has already overcome obstacles aplenty in his fledgling career.
