Postponing El Clásico is good news for Dembélé
The Barcelona winger is serving a two-game ban – he will complete the first half of the suspension against Eibar and the other against Valladolid.
The decision to postpone El Clásico has turned out quite well for Ousmane Dembélé, who would have missed it due to suspension if it had taken place on the original date, 26 October. The French winger is serving a two-game ban for the red card he was shown in Barça’s meeting with Sevilla but he will now have wiped the slate clean by the time the Catalans play host to Real Madrid (a date for which has yet to be finalised). Under Article 56.1 of the RFEF’s Disciplinary Code, Dembélé was sent off for dissent (telling match official Mateu Lahoz he is “a very bad referee”) which is considered a minor offence and why the player was given a two-match rather than a three-match suspension.
Dembélé will serve the first half of his ban tomorrow when Barcelona travel to Eibar and will complete the suspension when Valladolid are guests at Camp Nou on 29 October. Dembéle was left out of the squad list which Valverde announced last night for the Eibar game. Barring injury or getting himself sent off again in December's meetings with Mallorca or Real Sociedad, Dembélé, who has been on the winning side in all three of the Clásicos he has played in so far, will be available for the meeting with Real Madrid at Camp Nou if the provisional date of 18 December is confirmed.
Barcelona squad for the Eibar game
Ter Stegen, Neto, Semedo, Sergi Roberto, Wagué, Lenglet, Umtiti*, Todibo, Jordi Alba, Junior*, Sergio Busquets, De Jong, Rakitic, Vidal, Aleñá, Arthur, Griezmann, Luis Suárez, Messi, Ansu Fati, Carles Pérez and Arnau Tenas.
*Players who have received the medicall all-clear