Bernd Schuster decided to put him on the shelf along with Ruud Van Nistlerooy, and Wesley Sneijder (fractured rib) so they can recover for next week’s Champions League showdown against AS Roma at the Santiago Bernabéu.
Van Nistlerooy in the meantime recovers from a season-long ankle injury that he cannot shake. His ankle is inflamed and depending on fitness tests in the upcoming days.
Schuster also mentioned that both Pepe and Robinho will not play the entire 90 minutes, but will slowly be incorporated back into the lineup.
For Madrid there will be no time to lick their wounds as they will fly back into Madrid to start preparations for the Giallorossi on Sunday. A win will keep them atop the standings, but a loss or a draw combined with a Barcelona win at Atlético will have their eternal rivals catching up to them after having a nine-point lead a little over a month ago.
Possible lineup for Madrid…
Casillas, Sergio Ramos, Cannavaro, Marcelo, Heinze, Diarra, Gago, Drenthe, Robben, Soldado, Raúl
