Real Madrid heads Antonio Rudiger and Kylian Mbappe will be fit for their Tuesday UEFA Champions League quarter-final first leg against Arsenal after both avoided immediate suspensions from UEFA.
The European football governing body opened a disciplinary investigation into the post-match celebrations after Madrid’s last-16 victory over Atletico Madrid. Rudiger, Mbappe, Vinicius Junior and Dani Ceballos were all examined for making provocative gestures toward the crowd.
There were significant fears for Rudiger, who had been seen making a throat-slitting gesture in the aftermath, that he would be banned, which would have ruled him out of the pivotal fixture at the Emirates Stadium. But UEFA has issued both Rudiger and Mbappe with one-match bans while they are on probation for a year. Both players remain available to play in the first leg as a result.
Mbappe was shown a fine of €30,000 for his role in the incident, with Rudiger having also been hit with a more general €40,000 failure to respect the rules on the field. No action was taken against Vinicius Junior and there was only a €20,000 fine for Ceballos, who is out with a muscular injury.
It is a massive relief for manager Carlo Ancelotti, who counts on Rudiger, Mbappe, and Vinicius as first-team staples. They will be crucial, as Real Madrid will seek to return to the Santiago Bernabéu with a healthy result.
