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Madrid - Real Madrid's troubles deepened Thursday after Dani Carvajal and Lucas Vazquez were ruled out for several weeks through injuries picked up during their crushing 4-1 midweek Champions League defeat to Ajax.
Dumped out of the Spanish Cup and distanced in the league by Barcelona with two defeats to their bitter rivals last week, Madrid have only pride to play for in the remainder of this season.
Ballon d'Or winner Luca Modric said the run of results had been the hardest week of his career, but sent out a wake up call to his teammates.
"Success is not about how you fall, it's about how you get up," the Croatian wrote defiantly on Facebook.
"Hala (come on) Madrid," wrote Modric, who led Croatia to the World Cup final in July and woh the last three Champions League titles with Real.
Madrid trail Barca by 12 points in the league, with 12 games left to play, and with Valladolid away next up on Sunday.
Right-back Carvajal has a torn thigh muscle, while Vazquez has a thigh strain which Spanish press speculate will keep the pair out of action for a month.
Fans of Madrid, who have won the European title 13 times, may also have been concerned to witness the depth of Carvajal's distress after the recent spate of defeats.
"I've never felt as sick as this, I don't know how to explain it," said Carvajal on Tuesday.
"In one week everything has gone, and all of it after matches at home. Tonight we can't look for excuses, they were better and they deserved to go through.
Madrid's 18-year-old Brazilian striker Vinicius Junior is also sidelined, possibly for two months, after twisting an ankle during the defeat to the Dutch side.
Vinicius left the field in tears after sustaining the injury in the first half and a statement on Wednesday read: "Vinicius has been diagnosed with a ligament rupture of the right ankle."
