Champions League

Real Madrid to appeal "unfair" Dani Carvajal suspension

By Daniel Lewis, Senior Reporter | 08 December 2017

Zinedine Zidane hopes to have Dani Carvajal available for Real Madrid's next Champions League outing, as he feels that the two-match ban passed down to him is "unfair".

Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane has revealed that he intends to appeal the two-match ban handed to defender Dani Carvajal as it is "unfair".

The 26-year-old will miss the first leg of Los Blancos' last-16 tie in the Champions League after being punished by UEFA for the act of deliberately picking up a yellow card.

Carvajal delayed an opposition throw-in late on in the 6-0 win against APOEL last month, earning his third booking in the competition and therefore an automatic ban for the dead rubber against Borussia Dortmund this week.

Zidane is unwilling to accept the extended punishment, though, as he insists that there is no way of telling whether Carvajal deliberately picked up his latest booking.

"I was surprised. I wasn't expecting [the yellow card]," he told reporters. "You have to ask Dani Carvajal, but I think it's unfair. That's my point of view.

"You can't prove he intended to pick up the card. We're going to appeal that decision and maybe they reduce that ban. I don't think it's fair. I don't think he was asking for the yellow, but some may think otherwise. If you look at the game, look at my reaction."

In Carvajal's absence, Madrid beat Dortmund 3-2 in their final Group H fixture on Wednesday night.