During Real Madrid’s final match of 2023, a hard-fought 1-0 over Alaves, Nacho Fernandez saw red for a strong challenge on Samu Omorodion. Initially, a yellow card was shown, but after consultation with VAR, the 33-year-old was dismissed, which forced Los Blancos to play with 10 men for over 30 minutes.
Nacho’s red card means that he will miss Real Madrid’s first match after the winter break, which is against Mallorca next week. However, given that it was his second dismissal of the season, he could have been banned for multiple fixtures in La Liga.
Fortunately for Real Madrid, this won’t be the case, as Relevo have reported that Nacho has been given a one-match ban for his sending off against Alaves. It means that he will be available for the match against Almeria on the 21st of January.
Having Nacho available for that match is crucial, given that he and Antonio Rudiger are Real Madrid’s only fit centre-backs, with Eder Militao both out with long-term injuries. It means that Aurelien Tchouameni will only have to fill in for one match, which he is sure to be pleased about.
