Valverde hospitalized with head injury following altercation with Tchouameni

Real Madrid’s Season Takes Another Turn as Tensions Rise

A dressing room altercation between Real Madrid players Federico Valverde and Aurelien Tchouameni has resulted in the Uruguayan midfielder being taken to hospital with a cut head, according to club sources. The incident occurred at the team’s training ground on the eve of El Clasico against Barcelona.

Valverde was subsequently discharged from the hospital and will be sidelined for up to two weeks due to a head injury, as confirmed by Real Madrid’s medical team. The club has announced that disciplinary proceedings have been opened against both players.

The incident follows an earlier altercation between the pair, which prompted an emergency meeting with senior club officials. The aim was to address the escalating tensions within the squad, which has left nerves frayed and the team divided at a sensitive moment.

Real Madrid’s season has been marred by multiple setbacks, including the sacking of manager Xabi Alonso midway through the campaign. His successor, Alvaro Arbeloa, has struggled to prevent the team from sliding towards a second successive year without a trophy.

The team trails La Liga leaders Barcelona by 11 points with four matches remaining, and their Champions League quarterfinal exit to Bayern Munich has further exacerbated the situation. The sides meet at the Camp Nou on Sunday in a Clasico that could seal the title for the Catalans.

In another development, over 33 million signatures have joined a petition demanding the club’s French international Kylian Mbappe be sold. The forward, who arrived from Paris Saint-Germain two summers ago, is recovering from injury but has been criticized for leaving Spain for an apparent vacation in Italy to continue his rehabilitation.

Source: Al Jazeera