REAL MADRID are fighting to have Marcelo available for next week’s clash with Chelsea after he was called up for election duty.
Voters will pick their candidates for the Assembly of Madrid on Tuesday May 4, the day before the Champions League semi-final second leg.
According to El Mundo, Marcelo, 32, has been randomly selected to monitor a polling station in the Spanish capital.
That would prevent him from joining his Real team-mates in flying to London on Tuesday.
Local authorities have reportedly argued that he can jet off on the day of the game after working at the ballot box, but that would encounter issues with Uefa’s coronavirus protocols.
Travelling separately from the rest of the squad would break Madrid’s Covid bubble.
Therefore Los Blancos have filed an appeal to have the left-back, who is a Spanish citizen, removed from the post.
It is said that Marcelo is deeply unhappy about the call-up and his entourage, as well as Real bosses, are working on overturning the decision.
Brazil international Marcelo was was given a Spanish passport in 2011, so that he did not take up a non-EU place in the Madrid squad.
The polling station workers were selected on April 5 and are paid £56 for their day’s work.
There is a seven-day period for appeals to be lodged with Real’s queries so far being rejected.
The LaLiga giants are nonetheless described as confident that Marcelo will be freed for the Stamford Bridge trip.
Exemptions can be made for citizens who are required for ‘essential community services of vital importance’ on the day of polls, although that is typically reserved for professionals such as firefighters or medics.
A precedent Real may call back to is that of Aitor Fernandez, the Levante goalkeeper who was excused from a 2019 voting booth call-up on the same day as a game against Athletic Club after a second appeal.
Marcelo started the 1-1 first leg draw due to an injury to Ferland Mendy, who remains a doubt for next week.
Christian Pulisic scored early for the Blues before a Karim Benzema equaliser at Estadio Alfredo Di Stefano.
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
