Real Madrid team-mates Aurelien Tchouameni and Federico Valverde were involved in a dispute in training four days before the Clasico on Sunday.
Sources with knowledge of the situation, speaking anonymously as they are not authorised to do so publicly, said the fight started at the end of training and carried on in the changing rooms on Wednesday.
The Athletic reported on Tuesday that tensions have been continuing to affect the senior camp’s preparations for the weekend’s game against rivals Barcelona.
Last month, Antonio Rudiger was involved in a heated argument with a team-mate in the dressing rooms at Madrid’s training ground, which he has since apologised for. More recently, Kylian Mbappe was involved in an angry flare-up with a member of staff during a training exercise before their 1-1 draw at Real Betis on April 24. Neither player is believed to have been internally sanctioned.
Several people in and around the club told The Athletic the France international’s conduct did not go down well and criticised the club for not taking a firmer stance.
Madrid head into Sunday’s Clasico on a four-game unbeaten streak in La Liga. Anything less than a win, however, will hand the title to Barcelona as Hansi Flick’s side are 11 points clear of Alvaro Arbeloa’s team with four rounds of matches (including this weekend’s) remaining.
Madrid could be without Mbappe for the fixture, as the forward has been sidelined with a hamstring injury. The 27-year-old had been targeting a return for the Clasico but Arbeloa said after Sunday’s Espanyol win that “it might take a bit longer” and “we’ll see how Mbappe is this week”.
Ferland Mendy is another injury doubt, having been forced off injured in the 14th minute of the victory.