Federico Valverde ruled out of El Clasico against Barcelona, Real Madrid confirm

In a week that was supposed to focus on Real Madrid’s effort to stop Barcelona from clinching La Liga on Sunday, the attention shifted to an internal issue. The result: Federico Valverde has been ruled out of El Clasico after his reported altercation with Aurelien Tchouameni.

Real Madrid said on their official website: “After the tests carried out today on our player Fede Valverde by Real Madrid Medical Services, he has been diagnosed with cranioencephalic trauma. Valverde is at home in good condition and will need to rest for 10 to 14 days, as indicated by medical protocols for this diagnosis.”

There were rumors yesterday about a disagreement between the midfielders, which was described as an issue during training. However, a new incident took place today involving both players. That leaves the team with one more absence, with Valverde also giving up the captain’s armband.

Real Madrid investigate the case

Real Madrid confirmed they are investigating the situation internally with a statement: “Real Madrid C. F. announces that, following the incidents that occurred this morning during the first team’s training session, it has decided to open disciplinary proceedings against our players Valverde and Tchouameni.”

The report of the altercation came as a surprise, since this is not normally how these situations unfold. Disagreements can happen, but the frustration apparently escalated to the point of a physical confrontation, which has now ruled out an important player for the club’s biggest match.

Their statement also said the sanctions should be known later: “The club will provide updates on the resolutions of both proceedings once the corresponding internal procedures have been completed.”

The match

Barcelona are 11 points ahead of Real Madrid in the title race, so even a draw would hand their rivals the La Liga title with just three matches left after El Clasico. The match was scheduled for Sunday at Camp Nou.