Real Madrid’s Valverde suffers head injury in alleged altercation with Tchouaméni

Real Madrid midfielder Federico Valverde suffered a head injury, the club said, in a reported altercation with teammate Aurelien Tchouameni on Thursday ahead of a weekend match against fierce rival Barcelona. The club said in a statement that “following the incidents that occurred this morning during the first team’s training session, it has decided to open disciplinary proceedings against our players Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni.” The 27-year-old Valverde’s injury could keep him sidelined for the final four games of the domestic season. “After the tests carried out today on our player Fede Valverde by the Real Madrid Medical Services, he has been diagnosed with a cranioencephalic trauma,” the club said in a separate injury update on Thursday. Valverde released his own statement Thursday, per Fabrizio Romano. “Yesterday I had an incident with a teammate during a training session. The fatigue from competition and the frustration made everything seem blown out of proportion,” the statement read. “Today we had another disagreement. During the argument, I accidentally hit a table, causing a small cut on my forehead that required a routine visit to the hospital”. “Valverde is at home in good condition and will need to rest for 10 to 14 days, as indicated by medical protocols for this diagnosis.” Valverde is a key midfielder for Uruguay, which will play in Group H at the World Cup. Uruguay’s first game is against Saudi Arabia on June 15. The team gave no timeline on the disciplinary proceedings. “The club will provide updates on the resolutions of both proceedings once the corresponding internal procedures have been completed,” it said. There was no reported injury with Tchouaméni, a 26-year-old France international. The Associated Press contributed to this report.