Real Madrid: Valverde taken to hospital after incident with Tchouameni
Federico Valverde was hospitalized with a head injury after an alleged incident with his Real Madrid teammate Aurelien Tchouameni in the dressing room, just three days before the championship match against their rivals Barcelona.
Real later said in a statement that they had launched disciplinary proceedings against the duo “following the events that occurred this morning during the first team’s training”.
The club also confirmed that Valverde had been diagnosed with cranioencephalic trauma, a type of concussion.
“Valverde is in good condition and, as medical protocols indicate, he will need to rest for 10 to 14 days,” they added.
Sources told BBC Sport that Uruguayan midfielder Valverde fainted during an argument, while ESPN reported that he needed stitches.
It was reported that the tension between the two players started during training on Wednesday. The argument did not go any further at that point, although the argument reportedly continued into the locker room.
Thursday’s alleged altercation is widely reported to have occurred after training at the club’s Valdebebas base, when France international Tchouameni confronted Valverde and the verbal altercation is said to have turned physical.
An urgent meeting was called for Thursday evening with Real President Florentino Perez and his staff, as well as head coach Alvaro Arbeloa and club captain Dani Carvajal.
Real added in a statement: “The club will provide updates on the decisions of both cases once the relevant internal procedures have been completed.”
BBC Sport has contacted representatives of the club and players for comment.
Real will face Barcelona in the El Clasico at Camp Nou on Sunday. Any result other than a Real win would see their opponents secure a second successive La Liga title with three matches remaining.
Spanish media say the incident was described internally by some staff as “the most serious incident at Valdebebas”.
Reports suggest that the club has launched an investigation to find out what happened and both players may face disciplinary action.
