Real Madrid open their Champions League campaign against Inter Milan at the Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday 8 September. This update settles a question plenty of supporters have been asking. Here is why Bernardo Silva is suspended for the visit, and why Arda Guler and Eduardo Camavinga join him on the sidelines.
All three bans stem from European football’s rules, not anything from this season. Real Madrid still have to face the opener without a settled first choice midfield. The timing could hardly be worse for a side looking to start strongly in Europe.
Real Madrid squad availability for Inter Milan opener
Guler, Camavinga and Silva will all miss the Bernabeu opener through suspension, according to Mundo Deportivo. It leaves Real Madrid short in midfield for a fixture that already carries plenty of weight on the opening matchday.
There is an added twist. Denzel Dumfries joined Real Madrid from Inter Milan during the summer window, and he could face his former club for the first time in white.
For the full background on each ban, see our original report on the Inter Milan suspensions.
Why Bernardo Silva is suspended for Real Madrid against Inter
Bernardo Silva is suspended because of a red card shown against Real Madrid while he was still a Manchester City player, according to Mundo Deportivo. He joined Real Madrid on a free transfer in the summer. The ban travelled with him anyway, under UEFA’s rules on carrying over suspensions between clubs.
That is why Bernardo Silva is suspended for this game, despite never having kicked a ball for Real Madrid. Guler and Camavinga face the same outcome, for a different reason. Both were sent off in Real Madrid’s 4-3 Champions League quarter-final second leg defeat to Bayern Munich last season, and UEFA carried those bans into the new campaign.
What happens next
Real Madrid take on Inter Milan at the Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday 8 September without Guler, Camavinga or Silva available. It is a tough way to begin the group stage. Three regulars simply cannot help.
Once the suspensions are served, all three should return to contention for the next Champions League fixture. Dumfries, by contrast, is free to play against the club he left only a few months ago.
