Both Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid have weekend games postponed

Real Madrid will have the weekend off after their request to postpone the Liga clash with Athletic Bilbao was granted.

The decision by Conmebol to extend their international round by an additional day meant a host of South American players would not be back in time for the weekend.

Real and their city rivals Atletico Madrid – the latter were due to face Granada – asked for their games to be carried over, and that was granted by the Spanish Superior Sports Council (CSD).

“In light of previous considerations, and using the attributes which are legally conferred on me I have resolved to grant the injunction requested by [La Liga president] Javier Tebas Medrano Lopez, representing the National Professional Football League (La Liga),” CSD president Jose Manuel Franco Pardo said in a statement on Wednesday.

Had the ruling gone against them, Real would have been without Brazil duo Eder Militao and Vinicius Junior and Uruguay’s Federico Valverde.

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Atletico would have been without three players – Argentina pair Rodrigo de Paul and Angel Correa and Uruguay striker Luis Suarez.

While the two Madrid clubs were successful, teams in other leagues will have to soldier on without star names.

Paris Saint-Germain are one of the hardest hit, as they take on Angers on Friday – roughly 12 hours after the likes of Lionel Messi, Neymar, Angel Di Maria and Leandro Paredes are in international action.