Real Madrid have been dealt a significant triple blow in their pursuit of Barcelona in the Spanish League with some key players set to miss some decisive games.
The Los Blancos suffered a shocking 1-0 home defeat against Getafe on Monday, with Argentinian starlet Franco Mastantuono shown a straight red card for arguing with the match official.
LaLiga Disciplinary Committee has now sanctioned Mastantuono with a two-match ban for “attitudes of contempt or disregard towards the referees”. Real Madrid had appealed the direct red card, hoping to have the youngster available for the trip to Celta Vigo this weekend, but the committee rejected the club’s allegations and maintained the original suspension.
This ruling means Arbeloa will have to navigate a tricky period without one of his most creative attacking outlets.
Aurélien Tchouaméni’s yellow card during the same match was also upheld.
Franco Mastantuono discusses with referee Alejandro Muñiz Ruiz after being shown the red card against Getafe. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)
Madrid argued that the player had clearly played the ball first and that the subsequent contact with the Getafe opponent was simply an inevitable consequence of the game’s physical nature. However, the committee was unmoved by the video evidence provided by the capital club and chose to uphold the booking.
While Tchouaméni will be available for selection in the next game, Dean Huijsen and Alvaro Carreras are suspended.
Both players were shown yellow cards in the previous outing, and unlike Tchouameni, their bookings have immediate consequences. Both players have reached the limit for yellow card accumulation, meaning they are automatically ruled out of the Friday night clash.
The committee confirmed the expected news, as a one-match suspension was imposed on each player. Alvaro Arbeloa will now have to figure out a way to set up his team as they hope to pile more pressure on Barcelona.
