Barcelona's main defender, Javier Mascherano, was given a 2-match suspension for a red card in the match against Eibar. This means he will be able to play against Real Madrid on November 21.
The team's official website confirmed that the Argentine national team player will miss the matches against Getafe and Villarreal.
"The player told us that he is very disappointed and really did not want to offend anyone," said club vice-president Jordi Mestre in a statement.
Mascherano was sent off the field towards the end of the match with about ten minutes left. Marca reports that the reason he was sent off was uncensored insults he directed at the match officials.
However, since he was not given the maximum four-match suspension, many speculate whether this was true. Barcelona representatives said that the player did not intend to insult the referees, and the football federation decided that his behavior during the match was disrespectful towards the officials but refrained from giving him the maximum penalty.
Mascherano's absence will be a big blow to Barcelona in these crucial matches. After nine rounds, both Spanish giants have 21 points in La Liga and share the 1-2 positions. It is obvious that with the Argentine, Barcelona's defense will be significantly stronger and the team will have an easier time achieving a positive result at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium.
