Real Madrid have confirmed that Pepe will be sidelined for three games with a muscle injury in his right thigh.

The setback will see the defender miss the club’s upcoming league fixtures against Granada, Rayo Vallecano and Eibar. Real Madrid officials are hopeful the centre-back will be fit in time for the first leg of the team’s Champions League quarter-final against Atletico Madrid on April 14.

Pepe’s last appearance was during his side’s 2-1 El Clasico defeat to Barcelona, where he was substituted after 72 minutes.

The defender joined up with Portugal during the international break but only trained once and did not feature in the country’s friendly against Serbia. He was then sent back to Madrid before Portugal’s final match against Cape Verde.

The 32-year-old defender immediately went to Sanitas-La Moraleja for tests where it was confirmed he had a muscle injury in his right thigh.

This season, Pepe has missed ten games due to various injuries.

In his absence, Raphael Varane is expected to once again partner alongside Sergio Ramos in central defense. The pair have played together twelve times this season with a record of ten wins and two defeats in those games.

The good news for Real Madrid is midfielder James Rodriguez is likely to return to the lineup this weekend following a two month absence from the squad due to a broken foot.

The Colombia international returned to training on March 24th and has stepped up his efforts in order to be ready for Sunday’s match against Granada at the Bernabeu.