Why isn’t Dani Carvajal playing for Spain vs France in Euro 2024 semi-finals?

Spain will be without right-back Dani Carvajal in today’s Euro 2024 semi-final against France, as La Roja bid to reach their first major-tournament final since winning their most recent European title 12 years ago.

Why is Dani Carvajal out for Spain today?

Carvajal, who has started four out of the five games that Spain have played so far in Germany, is suspended for the last-four clash against Les Bleus. In the 126th minute of the Spaniards’ 2-1 extra-time victory over Germany in Friday’s quarter-final, the defender was sent off for a second booking, having hauled Jamal Musiala down as the attacker advanced down the left wing in search of an equaliser.

How long is Carvajal out for?

Carvajal’s first yellow card of the Germany game also incurred a ban, as it was his second of the tournament: he had also seen yellow for dissent in Spain’s group-stage win over Italy. However, while UEFA hands out a default one-match ban both for accumulated bookings and a sending-off, European soccer’s governing body doesn’t appear to add the two suspensions together in cases such as Carvajal’s.

As FourFourTwo’s Steven Chicken points out, the wording in the Euro 2024 rules on dismissals and accumulated cautions certainly seems to preclude such a possibility. UEFA does not refer to a “one-match ban” as the punishment in either instance; instead, it only says that players can expect to be suspended for “the next match in the competition”.

For red cards, UEFA can give out longer bans “in case of serious offences”, but Carvajal’s dismissal for two routine bookings clearly doesn’t fall into this category. The Real Madrid player is therefore set to return to availability for Sunday’s final in Berlin, should Spain qualify.

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Who else is absent for Spain against France today?

Carvajal’s defensive colleague, Robin Le Normand, is also banned for today’s semi-final in Munich. Having picked up a booking against Italy last month, the French-born centre-back earned a one-match suspension when he received his second caution of the Euros against Germany.

Meanwhile, injury has ruled midfielder Pedri out of the rest of the tournament. The Barcelona player had to be withdrawn early in the first half against the Germans, after damaging his knee in a challenge with Toni Kroos.

Who will replace Carvajal, Le Normand and Pedri?

All the indications are that the 38-year-old veteran Jesús Navas will deputise for Carvajal at right-back, with Nacho Fernández drafted into the centre of defence in place of Le Normand.

Dani Olmo was brought on for Pedri on Friday, and proceeded to score Spain’s opening goal. The 26-year-old is expected to start today.

Spain vs France: start time, how to watch

The Euro 2024 semi-final between Spain and France takes place today, Tuesday July 9, 2024, with kick-off at Allianz Arena scheduled for 3pm ET/12 noon PT. Viewers in the United States can watch the Game on Fox Network and ViX.