Carvajal's timely yellow frees him for Madrid derby

It was a nine-goal thriller at the Bernabeu on Sunday as Cristiano Ronaldo scored four to seal all three points for Real Madrid, who are trying to finish as high in La Liga as possible following their disappointing start to the campaign.

After the interntional break, 'Los Blancos' will travel to the Gran Canaria to face Las Palmas on March 31 and they will have to do so without seasoned defender Dani Carvajal.

The Spaniard received a yellow card against Girona, his fifth for the season, and will therefore miss Madrid's next league match through suspension. 

Although it will be a blow for Zinedine Zidane, it means Carvajal will return for the derby against Atletico on April 8 with a clean record in what will be an important duel in La Liga.

Real closed the gap to their Madrid rivals to four points after Diego Simeone's team lost 2-1 to Villarreal at the weekend and will be looking to reduce the deficit even further with just nine games remaining.