Will Lamine Yamal and Jude Bellingham be suspended from UEFA Champions League round of 16? Threat looms over FC Barcelona and Real Madrid

Lamine Yamal and Jude Bellingham are among several players who are close to suspension as the UEFA Champions League returns with the round of 16. The tournament resumes after the playoff stage, leaving 16 teams fighting for the title. However, the yellow-card rule is creating concern for many clubs. A total of 51 players in the competition are just one booking away from missing a match.For FC Barcelona, teenage star Yamal is one of the players who could face suspension soon. The winger already has four yellow cards in the competition. If he receives another booking in Barcelona’s upcoming clash against Newcastle United, he would miss the second leg of the round-of-16 tie. Meanwhile, Real Madrid midfielder Bellingham is also close to a suspension, although injury has ruled him out of the first leg.Lamine Yamal’s disciplinary record has already affected him once this season. The 18-year-old attacker earlier served a one-match suspension after receiving his third yellow card during the league phase of the competition. Now with four bookings, another yellow card would mean he must sit out Barcelona’s next Champions League match.Barcelona have several other players facing a similar situation. Fermin Lopez, Gerard Martin, and Marc Casado are also just one booking away from suspension. All four players could feature in the first leg of the round-of-16 clash at St. James’ Park.Real Madrid are dealing with their own concerns ahead of their knockout tie against Manchester City. Bellingham currently has two yellow cards in the competition, meaning one more would trigger a suspension. However, the English midfielder will not play in the first leg as he continues to recover from a hamstring injury he suffered in a La Liga win over Rayo Vallecano.Other Madrid players are also at risk. Vinicius Junior, Aurelien Tchouameni, and Dean Huijsen could all miss the second leg if they receive yellow cards in the first meeting with Manchester City.Two more players, Alvaro Carreras and Rodrygo, are also close to suspension. However, both players are currently unavailable for the first leg due to injuries.During the Champions League league phase, Barcelona finished fifth in the standings with 16 points from eight matches. Real Madrid finished ninth in the table with 15 points after losing three matches against Liverpool, Manchester City, and Benfica before beating Benfica in the playoff round.