OFFICIAL: Ferland Mendy’s suspension confirmed

The Spanish Football Federation have confirmed Ferland Mendy’s one-game suspension after the red card he was shown during Sunday’s away match in Mallorca. Mendy was sent off after a very rough challenge out of frustration when the referee was about to blow the final whistle.

With Mendy suspended, backup left-back Fran Garcia will start on the left side of Real Madrid’s defensive line when the team hosts Valladolid on Sunday. Garcia didn’t have many opportunities to feature in the starting lineup last season, so he will likely see this match as a chance to prove his worth and his ability to play relevant minutes in what will be his second season with the first team.

Real Madrid will be looking forward to earning a convincing and dominating home win against Valladolid after their poor performance in Mallorca, so it will be interesting to see if Ancelotti will make any changes to his lineup.