Real Madrid Ace Marcelo Handed 2-Game Domestic Ban for Levante Sending Off

Marcelo will miss Real Madrid's next two domestic matches after he was handed a two-match suspension for the red card he picked up against Levante.

The left-sided footballer received his marching orders in the 89th minute of Saturday's 1-1 draw at Santiago Bernabeu, and Marca has now reported that he will be unavailable for the next two La Liga games.

That ban will coincide with the away trip to Real Sociedad and home clash with Real Betis, although the return of Cristiano Ronaldo from his own five-game suspension will ease manager Zinedine Zidane's potential selection headache.

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Marcelo was seen kicking Levante's defensive midfielder Jefferson Lerma in the back in an off-the-ball incident, and referee Alejandro Hernandez Hernandez saw fit to issue a straight red for the Brazil international's rush of blood to the head.

The suspension was expected to be nearer to four games than two, so Marcelo has seemingly got off lightly with the verdict delivered by those in charge.

Los Blancos attempted to appeal against the ban, but a Spanish Football Federation committee chose to throw out their argument and have upheld the suspension.

Real Madrid have the option of appealing against the decision, Marca reports, but it would seem pointless at this stage and the Spanish giants may as well just accept the punishment dealt out to their left-back.

Zidane refused to comment on the red card at the time, and left the decision over the length of the ban to the relevant authorities.

He had said: "I am not going to say anything. He [the referee] does the best he can, and I don't get into this. I don't say anything."

The red card is the fourth time that Marcelo has been sent for an early bath in his entire career, with the other three occasions coming in coming in two previous La Liga outings and in the second leg of the 2011 Supercopa final against bitter rivals Barcelona.