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By Tim Hanlon

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REUTERS – Barcelona’s Javier Mascherano has received a two-match suspension following his red card in Sunday’s La Liga clash with Eibar for verbally abusing a linesman, the Spanish soccer federation (RFEF) said on Wednesday.

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The Catalan side were worried the Argentine would miss El Clasico against Real Madrid on Nov. 21 if he had been hit with a four-match ban since Barca’s squad is already stretched.

Referee Carlos Del Cerro Grande said Mascherano was dismissed for directing an insult, common in Argentina, towards the linesman but Barca appealed saying it was said in passing.

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The suspension means the defender will miss Barcelona’s league matches against Getafe and Villarreal.

Barca have suffered a series of injuries to key players including Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta and Rafinha.

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The squad has also been hampered because the club have not been allowed to bring in players over the last two transfer windows due to a FIFA ban over the illegal signing of minors.

However, last season’s treble winners are joint leaders of La Liga with Real Madrid on 21 points from nine games following their 3-1 win over Eibar and top their Champions League group.

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(Reporting by Tim Hanlon in Barcelona, editing by Ken Ferris)

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Dhruv George

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Dhruv George is EssentiallySports’ foremost authority on motorsport and a founding member of the outlet’s NASCAR desk. A Journalism graduate fluent in English and French, he brings over eight years of motorsports journalism experience covering everything from high-octane NASCAR battles to the finesse of Formula 1 and MotoGP. His extensive paddock access has earned him exclusive interviews with top names such as F1’s Pierre Gasly and Moto2’s Tony Arbolino, cementing his reputation as a trusted voice among racing fans. Known for his candid opinions, Dhruv isn’t afraid to tackle contentious officiating calls, most recently defending Joey Logano after the DYL penalty in Phoenix. Before focusing on NASCAR as a Senior Writer, Dhruv contributed extensively to EssentiallySports’ coverage of F1 and NASCAR, building a versatile and impactful sports portfolio.

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