Real Madrid will be able to call upon Nacho Fernández in two weeks for El Clásico against Barcelona. The suspension that the 33-year-old defender received following the red card against Girona has been reduced to two matches.
In late September, during the match against Girona, Nacho received a red card for a hard foul on Portu. The attacker seemed to be getting away, and Nacho saw no other option than to bring him down. He did so with a hard tackle. The referee initially showed a yellow card, but after the intervention of the VAR, he changed it to a red card.
The main protagonist quickly apologized after the match and seemed to expect a hefty suspension. That suspension was three matches, of which Nacho already served one against Osasuna. However, Real appealed against the punishment, partly because, in the club's eyes, the foul was less severe than initially judged and because Portu did not suffer a serious injury.
Los Blancos aimed for a one-match suspension, which would mean that Nacho could play again this coming Saturday against Sevilla. That plan didn't work out, but Real's appeal did have an effect. The appeal committee of the Spanish Football Federation reduced the suspension to two matches. As a result, Nacho will be available for selection in the Spanish league after the match against Sevilla.
