Real Madrid’s Federico Valverde went to hospital after a dressing room row with team-mate Aurelien Tchouameni.
The Uruguayan said he suffered a “small cut on my forehead that required a routine visit to the hospital” during an argument and denied the pair “came to blows”.
The club have opened disciplinary proceedings against both players.
Valverde’s Injury and Response
Valverde, 27, has been diagnosed with a cranioencephalic trauma, a type of concussion, and will miss Sunday’s match against Barcelona.
The club said Valverde is at home in good condition and will have to remain at rest for 10 to 14 days, as indicated by the medical protocols for this diagnosis.
Valverde stated on Instagram that at no point did his team-mate hit him, and he didn’t hit Tchouameni either.
He added that his anger and frustration at seeing some of them struggling to get through the end of the season pushed him to the point of arguing with a team-mate.
Valverde said he was sorry because the situation hurts him.
Club Response and Fallout
Real Madrid said Valverde has been diagnosed with a cranioencephalic trauma.
An emergency meeting was called with Real president Florentino Perez and his staff, plus head coach Alvaro Arbeloa and club captain Dani Carvajal.
Valverde confirmed reports that the pair had another row on Wednesday, adding that these things can happen in a normal locker room and are usually resolved internally without it becoming public knowledge.
He also stated that someone is spreading rumours, and with a season without titles, where Real Madrid is always under scrutiny, everything gets blown out of proportion.
Real Madrid’s Season
Real Madrid have had a disappointing season, sitting 11 points behind Barcelona in La Liga with four games to go.
They also exited the Champions League at the quarter-final stage with Valverde describing it as another “wasted year”.
Anything other than a win for Real in Sunday’s El Clasico at the Nou Camp will hand Barcelona a second consecutive La Liga title, with three games to spare.
Valverde said that any disagreements they might have off the field ceases to exist on it, and if he has to defend the team inside a stadium, he’ll be the first to do so.