Getafe's Carvajal delighted to be back after Rayo draw

The former Real Madrid right-back started Monday’s 1-1 draw at the Coliseum just days after his move to Getafe was confirmed, making an immediate return to competitive football after a lengthy spell without playing.

Carvajal’s comeback came in a difficult match for his new team. Rayo Vallecano took the lead through Álvaro García in the 11th minute, and Getafe were reduced to ten men before the break when Djené was sent off. Martín Satriano equalised in the 56th minute, allowing the hosts to salvage a point despite the numerical disadvantage.

Carvajal was pleased to be back on the pitch, even if the circumstances made for a demanding first outing.

“I’m delighted, very happy with my first minutes for Getafe. We didn’t start as we should have, we conceded, and we were down to ten men early, but there’s a positive way to look at it. In adversity, we recovered and scored,” he told the club’s post-match broadcasters.

“The point is a positive thing. If you can’t win, at least don’t lose.”

The 34-year-old acknowledged that five months without a match had taken a toll. Facing Rayo’s Álvaro García and playing with a man fewer meant he had to work hard, and he eventually experienced cramp before asking to be substituted in the 80th minute.

“After almost five months without playing a match, facing Álvaro García and then having one player fewer, I ended up with cramp and asked to come off. But I’m happy to enjoy being on the pitch again,” he said.

“Now it’s about getting my rhythm back through training and matches. I’m very happy.”

Carvajal’s arrival gives Getafe an experienced defender with a career built around competing at the highest level. His immediate task is to regain match fitness while helping a side that has had to battle through a difficult opening period of the season.

There will be little time to ease himself back in. Getafe face a busy run of fixtures, including a Thursday home match against Lugano, and Carvajal expects the squad to be tested by the schedule.

“We have matches every three days now, with Lugano at home on Thursday. The manager will have to use everyone, and we’ll be ready. Until the international break, we have five matches without stopping, so we have to collect as many points as possible.”

The draw with Rayo offered Carvajal a first taste of his new surroundings, with Getafe showing resilience after a difficult start and the dismissal. The point was not the ideal outcome, but the defender’s return was a personal milestone after months away from competitive action.

His priority now is to build fitness and consistency, while helping Getafe turn hard-fought performances into results during a demanding stretch of the campaign.