Madrid, May 7 (IANS) Tensions spilt over at Real Madrid training on Thursday as midfielders Federico Valverde and Aurelien Tchouameni were involved in a physical altercation that left Valverde requiring stitches for a cut above his eyebrow. The club has not commented, but several Spanish media publications and radio stations reported the incident.

Reports said the pair had already clashed during Wednesday’s training session, when teammates intervened before the situation escalated. The disagreement reportedly continued in the dressing room afterwards.

The situation worsened on Thursday following what was described as a tense session, with the two players exchanging blows. Valverde sustained a cut and was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment, reports Xinhua.

Head coach Alvaro Arbeloa accompanied Valverde to the medical facility, where the midfielder, one of the team’s captains, received stitches.

Real Madrid has reportedly opened disciplinary proceedings against both players. The incident comes just days before Sunday’s Clasico against FC Barcelona, where Barcelona needs only a draw to secure the La Liga title. Both players could face exclusion from the squad.

The altercation follows recent reports of dressing-room unrest after a difficult season and comes two days after defender Alvaro Carreras acknowledged a separate “minor, isolated” incident involving a teammate.

Meanwhile, there is uncertainty over the availability of forward Kylian Mbappe, who has become the focus of attention. It remains unclear if the muscle injury that ruled Mbappe out of last weekend’s 2-0 win at Espanyol will allow him to feature, with the forward limited to light gym work on Wednesday.

Beyond his fitness, however, Mbappe’s future at Real Madrid is attracting increasing scrutiny.

The Frenchman’s output has not been in doubt. He has scored 41 goals in 41 games this season and 85 in 100 appearances for the club. Instead, questions have centred on his attitude, particularly in sections of the Madrid media.

The latest controversy came last weekend when the injured Mbappe travelled to Sardinia with his partner, with images showing the pair on a yacht. Further criticism followed reports that his private jet landed in Madrid just 10 minutes before kickoff against Espanyol, raising doubts about his engagement with the team.

–IANS

bsk/