Real Madrid will be without Spain international right back Dani Carvajal for the first leg of their Champions League last 16 tie at home to Paris Saint Germain after the UEFA Appeals Committee on Tuesday decided to maintain a one-game ban on the defender.
Carvajal received the ban after UEFA considered he had deliberately provoked a yellow card for time wasting in Real Madrid’s group stage game against APOEL Nicosia.
The yellow card meant he would be suspended for the final group stage match, but would have a clean slate when Madrid return to the knockout stage of the tournament on February 14th.
However, UEFA decided to investigate the booking for infringement of their Article 15 which includes punishment for “a specified period for clearly receiving a yellow or red card on purpose.”
Real Madrid had argued that Carvajal’s actions were in the realms of normality during a match, but this argument has now been rejected.