Rodrygo suffers another major blow after Champions League suspension as Real Madrid star is hit by hamstring injury

Real have confirmed that Rodrygo has sustained a hamstring injury in his right leg and now faces a spell on the sidelines. The winger is set to be out for around 10 days and would usually be able to return for the clash with Benfica in Lisbon, with the two sides set to renew hostilities after the Portuguese side beat them 4-2 to qualify for the play-offs after the league phase. Rodrygo will subsequently miss games against Valencia and Real Sociedad, but could return against Osasuna on February 21.

According to Marca, UEFA has handed Rodrygo a two-match ban, ruling him out of both legs of the Champions League knockout play-off round. The European governing body cited the use of "insulting and abusive language" directed at the match officials as the reason for the increased sanction.

“Yesterday I got carried away in the moment when complaining about wasted time. It’s not my way of doing things,” Rodrygo wrote on social media the following day.

“I had never been sent off playing with Real Madrid and I am aware of the consequences. I apologise to the fans, the club, my team-mates, and the coach. We will continue united and fighting for this badge and for this Champions League!”

Real now face a crisis when it comes to availability of key stars. Raul Asencio, the young defender, is also suspended after collecting two yellow cards in the Benfica game, while they will also be without England superstar Jude Bellingham. The former Borussia Dortmund midfielder has sustained a hamstring tear, but Trent Alexander-Arnold, Antonio Rudiger and Ferland Mendy are all expected to return to the squad within the next two weeks.

Vinicius Junior is also absent from Real's next game due to a suspension of his own. 

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Arbeloa has been in charge at Real since January 12, with the club going on to lose to second-tier Albacete in the Copa del Rey and Benfica in the Champions League. They have also beaten Levante, Villarreal and Rayo Vallecano in La Liga, as well as Monaco in Europe's elite club competition. 

Speaking after the defeat to Benfica, he said: "I do not regret any message I delivered because it reflects what I believe in. If your conclusion is that today's match was like this because the front players did not run enough, I completely disagree with you."

He added: "Clearly, today we were far from where we wanted to be, far from the difficulty of the match, from the opponent's requirements, from the atmosphere, and from what they were playing for, and what we were playing for. I think we weren't able to rise to the level we needed throughout the 90 minutes."

He added: "Before we came here, we knew we had a lot of work ahead of us, a lot to improve, and we are fully aware that there is still a lot to be done. To win this type of match, you have to do many things right, not just one thing, and you have to do them for the full 90 minutes."

Real play Valencia on Saturday as they look to overhaul Barca at the top of La Liga. Their first leg against Benfica takes place on February 17 in Portugal, while the second leg is at the Bernabeu on February 25. Benfica staged a remarkable comeback to beat Los Blancos and punch their ticket to the upcoming fixture, thanks to goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin's last-minute header.