Real Madrid megastar at suspension risk heading into Alaves clash

In their first match since being eliminated from the UEFA Champions League, Real Madrid face off against Deportivo Alaves later tonight at the Santiago Bernabeu in Matchday 32 of La Liga.

Already nine points behind leaders Barcelona, Los Blancos need a miracle in order to stand any chance of mounting a late push for the title.

However, there is still plenty left to play for, with futures of a number of players as well as manager Alvaro Arbeloa on the line.

Kylian Mbappe, meanwhile, will have his sights set on another Pichichi Trophy triumph as he currently leads the La Liga scoring charts.

Mbappe risking suspension

However, heading into tonight’s clash at the Bernabeu, the French superstar is at the risk of getting suspended.

Indeed, Mbappe is currently on four yellow cards in La Liga and another booking tonight would make it five, earning him an automatic one-match ban for accumulation of cards.

It would leave the 27-year-old attacker suspended for the league clash against Real Betis on Friday night.

That is something that both Mbappe and Real Madrid will be hoping to avoid, considering that a trip to Betis can always be tricky and Arbeloa will need his best players on the field.

Moreover, Mbappe is being chased by RCD Mallorca’s Vedat Muriqi in the Pichichi race, with the Kosovan striker only two goals behind the Real Madrid ace.

As such, the France national team captain will be hoping to keep his discipline and avoid facing a suspension in the final matchdays of the 2025/26 season.

Dani Carvajal finds himself in unfamiliar territory this season, struggling for minutes at Real Madrid and not a regular in the Spain national team squad.

Both Real Madrid and the Spain national football team have relied on the 34-year-old veteran as a key figure in every sense for years. His contributions on the pitch, combined with the qualities he brings as captain, have made him indispensable.

Now, however, the situation is different. With his contract at Real Madrid expiring on June 30, the right-back is staring at an uncertain future, while his spot in the Spain squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup is in jeopardy.

Carvajal not giving up

According to AS, though, Carvajal remains determined not to give up and will do everything possible to prove that he deserves to continue for another season at Real Madrid and a place in the Spain squad at the FIFA World Cup.

Carvajal understands that he must wait for his moment. Without concrete communication from the Merengues thus far, he knows from the experiences of his former teammates that decisions regarding renewals must come from the club itself.

He witnessed this with Nacho Fernandez, Toni Kroos, and Luka Modric, Real Madrid legends who have departed the club in the past few years. These are weeks of uncertainty, but Carvajal is aware that patience is required.

The only option available to the club captain is to continue training and working in order to earn an opportunity and demonstrate that his physical condition is at the required level.

The academy graduate has built his career on overcoming difficult situations. He has never given up and has always trusted his abilities, an approach he continues to follow.

With seven matches remaining and just over a month of competition left, Carvajal is determined to convince Alvaro Arbeloa and Real Madrid that he deserves to continue.

Situation with Spain

The World Cup is the other major concern for Carvajal. Before the most recent squad announcement in March, he knew he would not be selected, but he also understood that he still had time to secure a place for the World Cup.

Manager Luis de la Fuente has consistently viewed both Carvajal and Rodri as special cases due to their importance to the national team.

For this reason, the Real Madrid defender received a call from the RFEF headquarters in March, where he was informed that he still had an opportunity, if he were to play several matches in the final stretch of the season.

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