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Marcelo Could Miss Out On Champions League Second Leg After Being 'Elected' To Polling Station

Marcelo Could Miss Out On Champions League Second Leg After Being 'Elected' To Polling Station

Real Madrid's attempted comeback against Chelsea could be hit by them missing one of their most experienced players.

Ryan Sidle

Ryan Sidle

Real Madrid could be without Marcelo for their second leg of the Champions League semi-final against Chelsea next week, after the left-back was 'elected' to a polling station.

La Liga champions Real were second best on Tuesday night as Chelsea outplayed them in the first leg of the Champions League tie.

Zinedine Zidane's side came away with a 1-1 draw, thanks in part to Timo Werner's miss from four yards, but they have a lot to do in the second leg considering Thomas Tuchel's team don't concede too often and can qualify with a 0-0 draw.

The Spanish side will need their best players playing at their best in order to win the game at Stamford Bridge next week and they've been dealt a potentially huge blow.

According to El Mundo, Marcelo has been randomly picked out of Madrid residents to work at a polling station next Wednesday, the day of elections in the Spanish capital.

The club's legal team are trying to protest the Electoral Board that the Brazilian needs to travel to London for work next week but so far those arguments have been rejected.

Marcelo takes on N'Golo Kante at the Estadio Alfredo Di Stefano. Image: PA Images
Marcelo takes on N'Golo Kante at the Estadio Alfredo Di Stefano. Image: PA Images

The draw for the polling stations were made on April 5th and fellow Real player Víctor Chust, who plays for the youth team, has also been picked.

Marcelo played on Tuesday in part due to the injury to Ferland Mendy, who has been used by Zidane as first choice this season, but the Frenchman isn't guaranteed to be back next week.

Los Blancos were also without Sergio Ramos last night, who was seen reacting to a Raphael Varane chance and could be back next week, and it certainly didn't help the hosts to be under strength at the back.

Ramos watching on from the stands. Image: PA Images
Ramos watching on from the stands. Image: PA Images

Only those working in the courts, providing essential community services, such as medical and civil protection services, those who are covering Election Day in the media, and people participating in public events that are pre arranged before the election can be let off polling station duty.

However two years ago Levante goalkeeper Aitor Fernandez was able to be released from polling station duty when the team were playing against Athletic Bilbao.

It took for a second appeal to the original decision before Fernandez was allowed to play so Real may still have to wait to find out the result.

There's not many stranger reasons that players will have missed a Champions League semi-final, that is for sure!

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: Chelsea, Football, Marcelo, Premier League, Champions League, Real Madrid, La Liga