Real Madrid’s suspension nightmare for next LaLiga game against Celta Vigo

Real Madrid’s LaLiga game against Getafe could hardly have gone much worse. A shock 1-0 home defeat saw them fall four points behind leaders Barcelona, while three players were shown cards that will keep them out of their next league game, which comes quickly against Celta Vigo on Friday.

Head coach Álvaro Arbeloa already knew he would be without Jude Bellingham, Éder Militão and Raúl Asencio for the trip to the northwest of Spain. Kylian Mbappé also appears likely to miss out, although the exact extent of his knee injury remains something of a mystery.

After Monday’s stunning loss, Madrid will now also be without Franco Mastantuono, Dean Huijsen and Álvaro Carreras against Celta, a huge game now that they are playing catchup.

Mastantuono sees red after dissent

Mastantuono was sent off for dissent in injury time against Getafe. In referee Alejandro Muñiz Ruiz’s official match report, the official stated that the young Argentinian had told him, “What a disgrace, what a fucking disgrace,” leading to a straight red card.

The teenager also reportedly lambasted the fourth official before heading down the tunnel and now faces a nervous wait to discover the extent of the suspension coming his way.

Defensive problems grow for Madrid

To make matters worse, Huijsen and Carreras will also be absent in Vigo after being shown their fifth yellow cards of the league season in the defeat to Getafe. Both players must serve a one-game ban on Friday.

With Militão and Asencio on the treatment table, the absences of Huijsen and Carreras will leave Madrid short in defense, with Antonio Rüdiger and David Alaba the only available central defenders, and Fran García likely to come in at left back.

Celta Vigo test arrives at a difficult moment

Los Blancos are expected to face a tough test against Celta, who are currently in sixth place in the standings and fighting for a Europa League spot. The Galicians are on a four-game winning streak in all competitions, although their away form has generally been better than their home record.

The good news for Real Madrid is that playing on Friday means they will have four days off before taking on Manchester City in the first leg of the Champions League round of 16.

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