More bad news has struck Real Madrid. Following two recent injuries to key defenders, the club is now facing the loss of two more players—this time due to disciplinary sanctions.

Young defender Dean Huijsen has been suspended for the next La Liga match against Espanyol, while club captain Dani Carvajal will be sidelined for three Champions League matches against Kairat Almaty, Juventus, and Liverpool. Both players received red cards in their respective recent matches.

Carvajal’s Three-Match Ban

Carvajal’s punishment was announced on Wednesday following his expulsion in the match against Olympique de Marseille. The right-back was sent off in the 69th minute for headbutting French side’s Argentine goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli. Initially, the referee did not signal for a foul, but after a VAR review, he showed Carvajal a red card.

The referee’s report was crucial, as the Real Madrid captain faced potential sanctions under Article 15 of the UEFA Disciplinary Code, which addresses “unsportsmanlike conduct by players or coaches.”

Under the best-case scenario, the incident would be classified as unsportsmanlike conduct rather than aggression. According to Article 15, section (d), such an offense carries a suspension of “two competitive matches or a fixed period for serious unsportsmanlike play.”

However, based on the footage, the Real Madrid player faces a minimum of three matches, or even more, as per section (e) of the same article. This section specifically refers to “a suspension of three competitive matches or for a specified period for assaulting another player or another person present at the match.

This suspension means Dani Carvajal will not play in a Champions League match again until the fifth matchday, a fixture against Manchester City at the Santiago Bernabéu on December 10, meaning he will miss top-level club competition for almost two months.

Huijsen out against Espanyol

Another blow for Los Blancos is Dean Huijsen’s one-match ban for a La Liga fixture. Huijsen was shown a straight red card during Saturday's match against Real Sociedad for pulling down Mikel Oyarzabal, who was the last man, from behind.

After reviewing the incident, the Competition Committee imposed a one-match ban, despite initial rumors that it could be a two-match suspension. “One-match suspension for direct expulsion during the match, with additional fine(s) pursuant to Article 52 of the CD (Article 121.1),” the committee’s ruling stated.

Real Madrid is expected to appeal this sanction, although it seems unlikely to be overturned. The club has stated it will take the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) if the Appeals Court does not pardon Huijsen.

Earlier, the club had sent an appeal with video evidence to the Competition Commission, but that was rejected.