Federico Valverde went to hospital with head injuries after a dressing room altercation with Real Madrid team-mate Aurelien Chouameni, but denied the pair were “bombed”.
The Uruguayan said the injury that will keep him out of Sunday’s game against Barcelona was caused by “accidentally hitting a table”.
Midfielder Valverde explained that during the altercation he “suffered a small cut on my forehead that required regular visits to the hospital.”
The club, which took disciplinary action against both players, said Valverde, 27, had been diagnosed with craniocerebral trauma, a type of concussion.
Thursday morning’s incident occurred just three days before Real are due to face rivals and potential champions Barcelona in a tight title clash.
“Valverde is at home in good condition and will need to rest for 10 to 14 days in accordance with medical protocols for this diagnosis,” the club said.
“My team-mate never hit me and I didn’t hit him either. Although I understand it’s easier to believe that we were hit or that it was intentional, that didn’t happen,” Valverde said in a statement posted on Instagram.
“I think my anger at the situation and my frustration at seeing some of us trying our best to finish the season got to the point where I got into an argument with my team-mate.
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry that this situation hurts me. This moment we’re going through is painful. Real Madrid is one of the most important things in my life, and I can’t let it pass by.”
“As a result, it ended in a senseless fight, which damaged my image and left room for doubt,” he said. “People are fabricating stories, slandering me, and sensationalizing the incident.”
“I have no doubt that any differences we may have off the pitch no longer exist. If we have to defend our team on the pitch, we will be the first to do so.”
Valverde also confirmed widespread reports that the pair had another altercation on Wednesday, adding: “Things like this can happen in a typical locker room and are usually resolved internally without the public being informed.
“Obviously someone here is spreading rumors and in a season without a title, Real Madrid are always under scrutiny, so it makes everything unbalanced.”
An emergency meeting was called on Thursday evening attended by Real president Florentino Perez and his staff, manager Álvaro Arbeloa and club captain Dani Carvajal.
Real have had a disappointing season, leaving them 11 points behind Barcelona in La Liga with four games remaining, and were knocked out of the Champions League in the quarter-finals in what Valverde described as another “wasted year”.
Barring a Real win in El Clásico at the Nou Camp on Sunday, Barcelona would win a second successive La Liga title with three games remaining.
In the build-up to the match, bickering between team-mates added to Real’s difficulties.
Real’s statement on the conflict between Valverde and Chouameni added: “The club will provide an update on the resolution of both proceedings once those internal processes have been completed.”
Spanish media reported that the incident was described internally by several staff members as “the most serious incident ever experienced in Valdebevas.”
