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Chivas trio banished from squad over hotel incident - sources

Chivas players Alexis Vega, Cristian Calderón and Raúl Martínez have been separated from the squad after breaking internal rules, the Liga MX club announced on Tuesday.

"Alexis Vega, Cristian Calderón and Raúl Martínez failed to comply with the guidelines established in the internal regulations, which is why starting today they will be separated from the roster for an indefinite period of time," read a news release from the Guadalajara side, which will host crosstown rivals Atlas in Saturday's Clasico Tapatio.

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Sources told ESPN MX that the three players invited women back to Chivas' team hotel after a 1-1 away draw with Toluca on Sunday.

Following an internal investigation, the front office then sanctioned the players who will reportedly miss this weekend's rivalry game.

This marks the second time that Vega -- a Mexico international who appeared at the 2022 World Cup -- has been disciplined by Chivas' front office.

During the 2020 Apertura, Vega broke the club's COVID-19 rules after taking part in a gathering with former teammate Uriel Antuna and posting videos on social media of the two drinking alcohol together.

Calderón has also previously been sanctioned following an outing after a match in the 2020 Clausura.

Chivas, which sat top of the table in Week 5 of the ongoing 2023 Apertura season, has since slumped to seventh in the standings after a six-game winless streak.

Manager Veljko Paunovic will seek to revive the team that nearly won last season's title after losing 3-2 on aggregate to Tigres in the 2023 Clausura final.