Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez saw red during Argentina's 1-1 draw with Colombia in a World Cup qualifier after his high boot struck Kevin Castano in the face.
The 24-year-old was dismissed with 20 minutes remaining when his challenge left the Colombian midfielder bloodied and requiring treatment. The incident occurred during an increasingly heated second half of the match.
Colombia had taken the lead through Liverpool's Luis Diaz, who scored with a brilliant individual effort in the 24th minute. The match grew more tempestuous as it progressed, culminating in Fernandez's sending off that reduced the world champions to ten men for the final stages.
Chelsea supporters responded positively to their player's dismissal on social media, viewing the enforced rest as beneficial during the international break.
Enzo Fernandez was given a straight red for this brutal attack
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"GET IN!!!!!" wrote one fan, whilst another commented: "Good news. Give him some more rest time." A third supporter added: "Something might be a blessing sometimes."
The Argentine international will miss his country's next fixtures when they return to action in September. The world champions are scheduled to host Venezuela on 9 September before travelling to face Ecuador five days later.
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Argentina have already secured their place at next year's World Cup, with the draw leaving them ten points clear of second-placed Ecuador in the South American qualifying standings.
Lionel Messi displayed visible frustration following the red card incident, engaging in an animated exchange with Colombia veteran James Rodriguez.
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Kevin Castano immediately needed medical assistance
AFP
The Inter Miami star's evening took another controversial turn minutes later when he appeared to throw an elbow towards Crystal Palace defender Daniel Munoz.
Despite the heated exchanges, the 37-year-old continued playing until a surprising substitution in the 78th minute.
Messi was replaced by Exequiel Palacios in what initially seemed an unexpected decision by manager Lionel Scaloni.
The Argentine captain had rarely been withdrawn during competitive matches, making his departure all the more notable given the circumstances of playing with ten men.
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The substitution proved inspired as Palacios provided the assist for Thiago Almada's equaliser just minutes after coming on, salvaging a point for the ten-man visitors.
Argentina's manager Lionel Scaloni revealed the substitution was Messi's own decision.
Kevin Castano was left with a nasty injury
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"Leo wasn't going to come off, but he ended up coming off near the end," Scaloni explained.
"He told me it was better for him to come off, and so we decided to change him."
The coach praised his team's resilience following Fernandez's dismissal.
"The good thing we always showed, with 10 men and without Messi, is that we kept looking, not giving up on a ball. That makes us very satisfied."
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