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Chelsea not interested in Beckham Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti has ruled out a move for David Beckham in the January transfer window. Beckham has been linked with a loan move to Tottenham with Blackburn and Newcastle also expressing interest in the former England captain, who is currently in the close season with his MLS league club, LA Galaxy, in the United States. Ancelotti worked with 35-year-old Beckham during his loan spell at AC Milan two seasons ago. But he said: "I read Beckham would like to come back for Tottenham. He is a fantastic professional player and could be good support for Tottenham if he comes back. "But we are not interested. In that position we have good players." Beckham spent the last two close seasons on loan at AC Milan and is keen to return to Europe in order to prove to England manager Fabio Capello that he deserves a recall to the national side. And Ancelotti believes he could do a job for a top Premier League club until the MLS season begins again in March. He said: "When he came to Milan he was not young. He came from the American league and it is not a league with fantastic football but he gave fantastic support. "Beckham is a professional player, it is easy to manage him. Every time he does total support for the team. He is an unselfish player. I was happy to manage him for six months because he is a fantastic player and a good man."

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Ancelotti: Top-four spot is priority Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti admits a top-four finish and not the title is now his focus in the Barclays Premier League. A poor run of form has seen the champions slip to fifth in the table, six points behind leaders Manchester United, who also have a game in hand. And while Ancelotti is a long way from giving up the title, he concedes a Champions League place is "the most important thing." Ancelotti, who has long-term casualties Alex, Yossi Benayoun and Yuri Zhirkov still unavailable but no new injury problems ahead of tomorrow's trip to Wolves, said: "There are a lot of teams involved in the first positions. "To stay in the first places of the table is important for the future. "We have to think now we can win the title again, but the most important thing is to stay in the places to be in the Champions League. "I am not worried. We have the skill and the ability to stay in the top four without a problem." Chelsea have taken just two points from their last five away league games, but Ancelotti believes they will get back on track at Molineux. Ancelotti, who is looking to strengthen in the January transfer market but has ruled out any interest in signing David Beckham on loan, said: "We won't lose. We will win. "We are improving and the team is very close to moving on from this moment. I have confidence that the team improves a little bit and instead of drawing games we can win in the last minute." Ancelotti refused to divulge his transfer plans but revealed striker Daniel Sturridge would not be allowed out on loan and admitted he would not be in the market for Beckham, whom he worked with two seasons ago at AC Milan. Beckham is keen to return to Europe in order to prove to England manager Fabio Capello that he deserves a recall to the national side, and has been linked with Tottenham, Blackburn and Newcastle. Ancelotti said: "I read that Beckham would like to come back to play for Tottenham. He is a fantastic professional player and could be good support for Tottenham. "But we are not interested. Our aim is different. In that position we have good players." However, Ancelotti does believe Beckham could be an asset to a top Premier League team. "When he came to Milan two years ago he was not young," Ancelotti said. "He gave fantastic support for the team. He worked very hard and was fit. "Beckham is a professional player, it is easy to manage him. He is an unselfish player. I was very happy to manage him for six months because he is a fantastic player and a very good man." Ancelotti also dismissed the idea that there was unrest in the Chelsea camp after John Terry and Didier Drogba apparently left the pitch arguing after the 3-3 draw with Aston Villa, which featured a last-minute equaliser by their opponents. He said: "It was not an argument. They were speaking about the position on the goal. It is normal that the players can speak about this." Ancelotti also insisted the frantic celebrations surrounding Terry's goal, which saw the manager leaping up and down on the touchline, did not upset the team's concentration. "I don't think it was too much because the players really showed a fantastic attitude," he added. "When you score a goal you have to celebrate. We didn't lose concentration at that moment." Ancelotti even maintained that but for bad luck, his team could be leading the Premier League. He said: "We won against Bolton, drew against Everton and in the 86th minute we conceded a penalty. "We conceded a penalty in the last minute against Tottenham and we conceded a goal in the last minute against Aston Villa. We lost six points in the last minute. With six points we would be at the top of the table. "It's true we are not playing so well but sometimes when you concede a goal in the last minute we are not so lucky. "We have to keep going. We are moving from the difficult moment. The performance is starting to be better. Sometimes we are not able to play for 90 minutes as we want but everything quickly will be okay.

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Ancelotti 'lucky' to stay Blues boss Carlo Ancelotti admits he is lucky to have kept his job as Chelsea manager after the club's recent results. Ancelotti has presided over the worst run of form under the reign of owner Roman Abramovich. The Blues have taken just 10 points from their last 10 Barclays Premier League matches and just two from their last five away games - a poor run which has seen them slide to fifth place. They face Wolves at Molineux Wednesday night when a win is vital if they are not to lose touch with the Premier League pace-setters. When the former AC Milan boss was asked if he would have been sacked by now if he was still in Italy, he replied: "I am a lucky man. I understand that a lot of coaches are sacked with results like these." However, Ancelotti wants to be judged on his results at the end of the season. He added in the Daily Mail: "When you go to a restaurant, you have to pay the bill when finish your meal. "It's the same here. We have to pay the bill at the end of the season. At the end the club can judge me. The best food would be the Champions League. I've tasted it sometimes and it's good." But if Ancelotti is not to pay too high a price come May, he needs his team to find some consistency, having been let down by conceding late goals in recent games. "Against Everton we conceded in the 86th minute," he said. "We missed a penalty at Tottenham and conceded in the last minute against Aston Villa. We have lost six points in the last minute and with those six points we'd be top of table." The January transfer window could provide a boost, but Ancelotti does not want to make any panic buys - and has ruled out a move for David Beckham. "When the Champions League comes back, we need to have a squad without injuries," he said. "If the club does buy, it will not be just for this year. We are looking for young players but ones with experience who don't need time to adapt. "Beckham is a fantastic player and could be good for Tottenham, but we're not interested. In that position we have good players. "The young players are in the squad because we trust them."

Ancelotti: I don't fear for my job Carlo Ancelotti insists he remains the right man to lead Chelsea out of their current slump. The Blues went down 1-0 to Wolves at Molineux tonight, Jose Bosingwa's own goal after five minutes deciding the contest, as their faint title hopes all but disappeared. The defeat made it one wins from their last nine league games for Chelsea, who are nine points behind leaders Manchester United having played a game more. Despite presiding over the club's worst run of form since the 1995-96 season, Ancelotti is determined to fight on. Asked if he was confident he was the right man for the job, the Italian said: "Yes, I know this team very well and I'm sure that this moment will change and we will be able to fight for everything this season. "I don't fear (for my job). I'm worried because the team doesn't reach the result. I think it's obvious we are not good enough in this moment. "But the team has the skill, the ability, the character, the personality to move on. It's important to stay compact, to stay together and to work hard for each other." The former AC Milan boss admitted the decision over his future could be taken out of his hands, although he does not have a meeting planned with owner Roman Abramovich. "It's not my decision. I hope I can continue this job, because I would like to stay here and I have a good relationship with the players and with the club," he said. Ancelotti did not write off his side's title chances completely, but admitted they looked bleak. "We can fight for a lot of things, nothing is lost in this moment," he said. "It's difficult to come back in the Premier League but we have the FA cup and the Champions League." The Chelsea boss claimed going behind so early in the game was key, Bosingwa unwittingly diverting the ball into his own net from almost on the goalline from a Stephen Hunt corner. His side had chances to level through Salomon Kalou, who fired a one-on-one opportunity wide, and Didier Drogba, who fired a snapshot against a post, but Wolves' first Premier League win over Chelsea was just reward for some resolute defending. "The most difficult thing for us was we conceded the goal after five minutes," said Ancelotti. "It was not the right way to start the game, we wanted to start the game differently, but we conceded a goal from a little detail, I think we could have done better, and after that the game was very difficult. "I think we had some opportunity to get back in the game but were not able to score. It's another defeat, at the moment it's very difficult." Wolves boss Mick McCarthy praised the effort of his players as they recorded a win which took them out of the bottom three. "For effort and endeavour they never leave a drop on the pitch," he said. "They give me everything, for which I'm hugely thankful and proud of. "We sometimes lack a bit of quality and sometimes make mistakes - and that's me included - but as a unit they're fabulous in terms of what they give me. "We played 4-4-2 against the much-lauded 4-3-3 and I asked them to do certain things. You can ask them, but it's the players who deserve the credit and the plaudits for doing it. They have to work blooming hard to play that way and they did." McCarthy revealed he is also keen to sign Aston Villa midfielder Steve Sidwell, who had been expected to move to West Ham but was reportedly at Molineux tonight. "I haven't spoken to him," said McCarthy. "If he's available and we can agree a fee and terms I would take him in a heartbeat. If that's the case we'll sign him."

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Ancelotti: Chelsea spirit not broken Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti insists the woeful recent form has not broken the spirit of the squad. The Blues slumped to a 1-0 defeat to Wolves on Wednesday night to make it one win from their last nine Barclays Premier League games - their worst run since the 1995/96 season. A miserable haul of 10 points from their last 11 outings has dropped Ancelotti's side nine points behind leaders Manchester United, having played a game more, and they face a fight to secure even a top-four place. That run of results has called Ancelotti's position into question. He insisted after the match he did not fear the sack from owner Roman Abramovich, but anything other than a win at home to Ipswich in the FA Cup third round on Sunday could make the pressure on him almost unbearable. The former AC Milan boss, though, has urged his players not to lose confidence. "The players are focused. They are working hard. They are staying together," he said. "There are no problems (in the squad) - they have a good spirit. "There are a lot of reasons that can explain this moment, but that doesn't matter. "Now we have to look forward, to the next game. We have to prepare well and we have above all to maintain confidence at this moment. "It's very easy now to lose confidence." He added in an interview with Chelsea TV: "I think that on the training ground everything is okay. The players are working hard. They are angry and they want to move on quickly from this moment. "I think that to move on quickly from this moment we have stay compact together. Not just the players, not just the manager, not just the staff - also all the people that are involved with this club with emotion with passion can do something to move on quickly from this moment." The strength in depth of the Blues' squad has been called into question, most notably last month by their own captain John Terry. Ancelotti revealed there were "some opportunities" for him to bring in reinforcements in the transfer window, but was reluctant to elaborate further. "Looking for the transfer market there are some opportunities we can do something," he said. "But I think it's private and confidential. "The line-up (against Wolves) was very good. At this moment we have to stay focused on the details." Wolves' victory, which lifted them out of the drop zone, meant they had beaten Liverpool and Chelsea in the space of a week. They have, however, lost to relegation candidates West Ham and Wigan in their other two games since Christmas, but manager Mick McCarthy was philosophical about the fact his side need to keep digging themselves out of trouble. "If you're going to be good at something, be good at digging," he said. "We're probably only going to have 10 really good days in a season. Out of 38 we're going to have, what, 10 wins? And the rest of the time we're going to have to put up with feeling rubbish on a Saturday or a Wednesday night. "That's the way it is - that's because we're one of those teams and there's a load of others that are just the same. "We go to Manchester City next so that should be a piece of cake, shouldn't it?" Wolves look set for a further boost with the news they are in discussions with Aston Villa midfielder Steve Sidwell over a move to Molineux. The 28-year-old had been on the verge of a switch to West Ham, but that move now appears to have fallen through. Wolves had already agreed a fee with Villa. Striker Kevin Doyle hopes the deal goes through. "Steve would be an excellent signing if it happens," he said on the club's official website. "I played with him at Reading for a number of years when we had some great success and he's also played for top clubs like Chelsea and Villa. "If he does sign I'm sure he'll be raring to go. "I have spoken to him this morning and we'll just have to see what happens but it would be a big boost if it goes through." DISQUS...

Ancelotti faces tough team decisions Carlo Ancelotti must decide whether he can risk resting players when Chelsea begin their defence of the FA Cup. Wednesday night's shock defeat at Wolves meant Ancelotti has now overseen the Blues' worst run of Barclays Premier League results for 15 years. But billionaire owner Roman Abramovich is continuing to resist any urge he might have to axe Ancelotti, with the club still confident the Italian is the right man to turn things around. That might change should they suffer an FA Cup giant-killing on Sunday when Ipswich arrive at Stamford Bridge in the third round. Ancelotti may be tempted to give some of his big names a break this weekend but it would be a huge risk under the circumstances. Goalkeeper Ross Turnbull will be hoping his manager does gamble and hand him a rare appearance. Turnbull, who turned 26 on Tuesday, has had to bide his time this season, his only two appearances coming in the Carling Cup and Champions League. There had been talk he might play at Marseille in the middle of the club's current slump last month but Ancelotti stuck with the experience of Petr Cech. Turnbull fears it may be the same on Sunday, telling his club's official website, www.chelseafc.com: "Some of the lads who don't play as much thought they might play the away Marseille game but I remember saying at the time that I thought the manager would put an experienced team out to get some momentum going, so he might do it again for Ipswich. "He has to pick what he thinks is best for the club and I respect his decisions." Ancelotti's hopes of keeping his job have been boosted by the fact that despite Chelsea's dramatic slump from top spot to fifth place following one win in nine, most of their rivals have been unable to pull clear. The feeling at Stamford Bridge is that a top-four finish is very much within reach, with Tottenham just a point clear of Ancelotti's men. The big test of Abramovich's confidence will therefore come should that gap to widen significantly, with the Russian having sacked Luiz Felipe Scolari two years ago when he began to fear Chelsea would not qualify for the Champions League. The Blues are refusing to completely concede their Premier League title, despite slipping nine points behind unbeaten leaders Manchester United having played a game more. The strong bond Ancelotti enjoys with his squad is thought to be one reason why the Italian remains in charge. He was mobbed by his players after John Terry scored what he thought was a winner in Sunday's 3-3 draw with Aston Villa. However, there was a similar public display of affection towards Scolari before he was sacked - and it subsequently became apparent that he was not as popular as advertised.

Ancelotti still has Chelsea backing Carlo Ancelotti continues to enjoy the backing of the Chelsea hierarchy, despite the club hitting a new low. Press Association Sport understands concern has increased over the Blues' worst run of Barclays Premier League results for 15 years, which culminated in last night's shock defeat at Wolves. But billionaire owner Roman Abramovich is currently resisting any urge he might have to axe Ancelotti, with the club confident the former AC Milan boss is still the right man to turn things around. The Italian's cause has been aided by the fact that despite the champions' dramatic slump from top spot to fifth place following one win in nine, most of their rivals have been unable to pull clear. The feeling at Stamford Bridge is that a top-four finish is very much within reach, with Tottenham still just a point clear of Ancelotti's men. The big test of Abramovich's confidence will therefore come should that gap to widen significantly, with the Russian having sacked Luiz Felipe Scolari two years ago when he began to fear Chelsea would not qualify for the Champions League. Kicking off their defence of the FA Cup with a victory over Ipswich on Sunday would go some way towards easing the pressure, though a defeat would crank it up exponentially. The Blues are refusing to completely concede their Premier League title, despite slipping nine points behind unbeaten leaders Manchester United having played a game more. That echoes what Ancelotti said himself last night when he insisted "nothing is lost". That differs wildly from his admission a week earlier that had Chelsea not beaten Bolton, they would have surrendered their crown. Ancelotti admitted before the Wolves defeat that he was "lucky" to still be in his job and continued to insist afterwards he did not "fear" for his position. He also had no intention of throwing in the towel himself, saying: "I would like to stay here and I have a good relationship with the players and with the club." The strong bond Ancelotti enjoys with his squad is thought to be one reason why the Italian remains in charge. He was mobbed by his players after John Terry scored what he thought was a winner in Sunday's 3-3 draw with Aston Villa. However, there was a similar public display of affection towards Scolari before he was sacked - and it subsequently became apparent that he was not as popular as advertised. Ancelotti has also built up plenty of goodwill, having led the club to their maiden double in his first season in charge and five points clear at the top of the league at the start of this term. He will be given money to strengthen during the current transfer window - with the signing of a defender the priority - but the club have already demonstrated they will not be held to ransom.

The already very adorable Marcelo made himself even more adorable at this morning’s session. Anyone want to guess who was on the receiving end of this? Since I don’t think Clarisse was at the session, or Enzo for that matter, I’m going to say it was aimed at Cristiano, to welcome him back. Cristiano once again made a miraculous recovery, and was able to attend and participate in the training session this morning for the players not called up for tonight’s game. Also back: Mahamadou Diarra, who had spent a few extra days in Mali with the permission of the club due to his mother’s sickness. unamadridista

Puyol: Guardiola will not leave Barca Barcelona skipper Carles Puyol is confident that manager Pep Guardiola will soon pen a new deal and secure his long-term future. Guardiola has been an immense success since his appointment in 2008, having led Barca to two consecutive league titles along with the 2009 Champions League crown and the Copa del Rey. With European powerhouses circling around Guardiola, club legend Puyol told club channel Barca TV that he has no worries over their tactician departing the Catalan outfit. The Spanish international stated: "We are making history, and so I think he will continue. It is what he wants. This team has something, where it is always motivated to win. We can play either better or worse, but we always give everything in the field. "This team is here to stay, and I continue to believe that about our coach." Club colleague Pedro has also urged his manager to remain at the Barca helm and backed him to lead the club to further more glorious eras. He added: "I hope he is here for many years to come. He is a very good coach who has been very successful, and if things continue, we will have many good seasons with him." Barca are sitting at the summit of the La Liga table, two points ahead of fierce rivals Real Madrid.

Levante 2-0 Real Madrid The Whites reach the quarterfinals of the Copa del Rey despite the defeat Fernando Porrero / Translation by Michael J. O'Donnell It is always complicated to play a return leg after winning the first 8-0. It is very hard to get properly motivated. The starting lineup used by Mourinho was extremely solid, but given the situation, it failed to bring intensity to the match. There were hardly any chances on goal in the first half. Levante seemed overexcited and focused on complicating things with fouls more than on scoring goals. Real Madrid dominated, but they didn't set a fast pace to the match. Canales had a clear chance with a shot inside the box following a good effort from Pedro Leon, but the ball hit a defender. Pepe came on for Carvalho at the start of the second half. Real Madrid played a faster game and Mourinho soon decided the bring Kaka on for Benzema (55'), positioning the Brazilian as a striker. A penalty was awarded very rigourously when the ball hit Gago's arm when it was pressed against his body. Xisco took the shot and scored the opener. Mateos was injured three minutes later and Mourinho brought on youth teamer Juanfran as a right back. Canales also had problems and had to play the last 20 minutes with leg cramps. The Whites had their best chance on the 83-minute mark when a header by Kaka hit the crossbar. Levante eventually sealed the match from a free-kick in the 85th minute. Despite the 2-0 victory, Real Madrid will play in the quarterfinals against Atletico Madrid thanks to defeating Levante 8-0 in the first leg.

Guardiola: Milito can leave Barcelona tactician Pep Guardiola has conceded that centreback Gabriel Milito could move on in search of more playing time. Reports have been emanating that the tough-tackling Milito wants to depart the Nou Camp with Italian outfit Genoa thought to be keen on snagging the defender on loan for the rest of the season. Whilst Guardiola has revealed that he has not had any dialogue with the Argentine over his future, the former has hinted that the 30-year-old is free to leave Barca in January. "He has not spoken to me about it," revealed Guardiola to the club's official website. "[sporting director Andoni] Zubizarreta told me about the situation and Milito knows how I feel, so he has to decide. "There are decisions I make and those the club makes, but this is purely down to him. Knowing him, I understand, but I'm not hurt. "It is impossible to feel hurt by Gaby. I understand him. Believe me, I've been a footballer, and know what it's like." Milito has found first-team opportunities hard to come by with Carles Puyol and Gerard Pique firmly established as the club's preferred centreback pairing.

Guardiola praises 'spectacular' Abidal Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola hailed Eric Abidal after the defender's heroics in their Copa del Rey success over Athletic Bilbao. Abidal, who is normally a left-back but began last night's last-16 second leg at San Mames at centre-back, scored Barca's goal in the 1-1 draw as Guardiola's team progressed through to the quarter-finals on the away goal rule. That was the 31-year-old Abidal's first-ever goal for Barca after 130 appearances and only the third of his professional career having netted two cup goals for previous club Lyon. Guardiola said of the Frenchman: "He's been spectacular. As much at centre-back as full-back, he's in an impressive spell of form. Wherever we put him, he always plays well. I'm very pleased for him." Abidal, whose side will now face either Getafe or Real Betis in the last eight of the cup, said after the game in AS: "We're going away very happy because it was a very difficult tie that we've come through. "It's been a long time since I scored and now that it's a new year I hope things will change and I can continue scoring goals this season. "I already know that when I have chances to shoot like this that I have to do it more often."

Llorente: Bilbao lacked luck Fernando Llorente was disappointed at Athletic Bilbao's Copa del Rey exit after their 1-1 second-leg draw with Barcelona. Having secured a brilliant 0-0 stalemate during the first-leg encounter at the Nou Camp, Bilbao were stunned by an Eric Abidal goal in the 75th minute before towering forward Llorente equalized for the home side ten minutes later. However, the visitors progressed to the quarter-finals thanks to their precious away goal to leave Bilbao stranded. "I have mixed feelings from the game. On the one hand we are upset we failed to reach the next stage, but on the other hand the team did a really good job on the field; we just lacked luck," Llorente told Marca. "In order to beat Barcelona, you need to play very well and they have to play badly. But the fact that the Barcelona players were looking forward to the match made our performance worth it," the San Mames forward concluded. Sevilla and Deportivo La Coruna joined Barca in the next round with the remaining Copa del Rey matches to be played on Thursday.

Mourinho: "I cannot criticise my players because they had a positive attitude" The fans will enjoy watching Kaka play at the Bernabeu" Alberto Navarro (Valencia) / Translation by Michael J. O'Donnell Jose Mourinho was not happy with the final score earned against Levante, but he was satisfied with his players' attitude. "It's difficult for players to pay the necessary attention to a game like this. We knew we had reached the next round before kick-off. I cannot criticise them because they had a positive attitude. Many men who haven't enjoyed minutes of playing time in the past, or have been injured, took the pitch today. Gago, Garay and Mateos were starters for the first time this season. Mateos and Canales had physical problems at the end of the match and we had no strikers after Benzema came off." "We played an uneven game given our limitations, but we always controlled it. This victory is a reward for Levante and we've reached the next round." "What's important is that Kaka doesn't feel any pain on his knee or groin when he plays. He is constantly improving. The crowd will enjoy watching him play at the Bernabeu." [Real Madrid will face Atletico Madrid in the quarterfinals and will play against either Villarreal or Sevilla if they reach the semifinals] "The four teams want to reach far. These are four of the most important sides in La Liga. The quarterfinals will be great and so will the semis. Three of the teams know what it is to play a final and win the title, and Villarreal are a solid side." "We have a tough schedule in January and we will try to do a good job despite our limitations. We cannot hide these; we all know what they are. Cristiano and Di Maria stayed in Madrid and we only had Benzema on the pitch tonight. We knew we could afford to lose today, but we didn't want to. We cannot afford to lose our next games because there is too much at stake."

credit to sergio ramos.com

Spanish Copa del Rey Thursday Review Real Madrid will face local rivals Atletico in the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey despite losing at Levante. Second-half goals from Xisco and Sergio earned Levante a 2-0 home win over a much-changed Madrid side, but with Mourinho`s men having won the first leg 8-0 the tie was all but over before kick-off. With such a huge advantage, Mourinho opted to leave a host of senior players out for the trip to Valencia, including the ill Cristiano Ronaldo who missed his first match of the season. There was little goalmouth action at either end before Levante took the lead on the hour-mark through Xisco, who slotted in from the penalty spot after his cross had struck the hand of Fernando Gago inside the area. Madrid almost drew level in the 82nd minute when Kaka, making his second appearance since recovering from his long-term injury absence, headed against the crossbar. But three minutes later Levante settled the match with a second goal. Veteran midfielder Sergio was the goalscorer, fired a fine free-kick into the near top corner of the net to consign Mourinho to his second loss following the 5-0 mauling against Barcelona at the Nou Camp. Madrid, who have not won the Copa del Rey since 1993, will now face Atletico, who defeated Espanyol 2-1 on aggregate following a 1-1 draw in Barcelona this evening. Sergio Aguero gave last season`s runners-up Atletico the lead in the 24th minute and even though Espanyol equalised deep into injury-time through Luis Garcia, it was not enough to deny Quique Sanchez Flores` men a shot at Real.

Higuain back surgery for next week Real Madrid striker Gonzalo Higuain will undergo his back operation next Tuesday in Chicago. Higuain has been absent since November with a herniated disc and it was decided on Wednesday, after consulting with several experts, that he would go under the knife. The operation will be performed by Dr Richard G Fessler at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, United States. It is not known how long Higuain will be absent for but Madrid coach Jose Mourinho admitted he does not expect to have the Argentina international available again until near the end of the season.

Ronaldo to miss out against Levante Cristiano Ronaldo will miss his first game of the season for Real Madrid in their Copa del Rey tie with Levante. With Madrid leading 8-0 from the last 16 first leg, Mourinho has opted to give some of his fringe players a chance in the return match and has rested Iker Casillas, Angel Di Maria, Xabi Alonso, Marcelo, Mesut Ozil, Raul Albiol and Mahamadou Diarra. Ronaldo has been struggling with an illness and is also missing, along with injured duo Gonzalo Higuain and Jerzy Dudek. Ronaldo, who scored a hat-trick in the first leg and took his season tally to 27 goals in all competitions with a brace in Monday's 3-1 league win over Getafe, has featured in every competitive Madrid match under Mourinho. Mourinho will welcome back centre-backs Pepe and Ricardo Carvalho following suspension however, while he has also named five youth-team players in a 20-man squad for the trip to Levante.

After the match Getafe – Real Madrid, Kakà was the center of all the attention. He made an interview and was thrilled with his come-back. He talked about many things like twitter and the support from his family. (from realmadrid.com) Kaka was delighted with his first appearance with the team following months of recovery. “I’ve had some tough times and the things I’ve missed the most are the team get-togethers, training with my team-mates, being with them in the dressing room, playing before our supporters… I lacked the joy I get from playing. I’m available now and I will do my best to play with joy again.” “I am very happy for playing a game again and for stepping onto a pitch. Coming back with a victory is the best thing that could’ve happened to me. I wish to thank my wife (she knows what I’ve gone through), my parents, my parents-in-law, and many friends who know what’s happened. At times, I was afraid when I thought about when I was going to come back or if I ever would. I must now earn a spot because the team is in great form. Competition is always good for the team.” “I wish to thank Mourinho for the great help he’s given me all this time. He is boosting my confidence to play again.” “I’ve met many people through Twitter and I’ve received many messages of support. It’s important for me to feel the people’s affection this way. I’ve received many messages of support on my mobile from friends, former team-mates and people who are happy to see me return. I thank them all. I must now keep going.” “A player feels very much alone when he is seriously injured and you go through it alone despite the help you get from others. We have to be by Higuain’s side. He will play again and he will be the great player he is today. I hope he returns as soon as possible.” “It won’t be a problem if I have to play closer to the goal. We’ll have to wait and see how the coach builds the team. I have to earn a spot. The team is playing very well and competition is always very positive. The match against Getafe was hard, but what mattered in the end was winning. It was special to play for 20 minutes.”

Última hora Mourinho: "Hay que respetar al Levante, a la competición y a la gente que va al campo" Europa Press miércoles, 05 de enero de 2011, 14:17 Dará la titularidad a Gago e intentará "20 ó 30 minutos" para Kaká MADRID, 5 (EUROPA PRESS) El entrenador del Real Madrid, José Mourinho, ha señalado que su equipo tiene que ir "a por todas las competiciones" y que a final de temporada al hacer balance verán "cuántas quedan", empezando por la Copa del Rey, a la que pide respeto, al igual que el Levante, pese a la goleada de la ida en el Santiago Bernabéu (8-0). Por ello, el portugués apostará por jugar la vuelta "con jugadores del primer equipo, buenos y que no quieren perder 7-0 ni 9-1 porque aunque esto significaría que pasan, es una humillación deportiva". "Hay que respetar al Levante, a la competición y a la gente que va al campo. Ya empatamos allí en Liga y hay que respetar compitiendo. No vamos a gestionar el 8-0, vamos a intentar jugar, son muchos partidos y una sola derrota, y eso implica un trabajo", señaló el portugués. El técnico madridista quiso también aclarar las dudas sobre la posible presencia del canterano Álvaro Morata en la delantera. "Morata no está preparado para jugar como titular en el primer equipo, tiene que seguir preparándose con el Castilla", advirtió. Y es que, de momento y ante la lesión de Gonzalo Higuaín y la no llegada de ningún delantero, 'Mou' contará con Karim Benzema. "El día que esté cansado o lesionado, jugaremos con un sistema sin atacante y volveremos a lo del perro y el gato, que no era una crítica", aclaró, descartando que vaya a dejar de lado alguna competición para estar más fresco. "Tenemos que ir a por todas las competiciones veremos si al final nos quedamos con tres, dos, una o ninguna", añadió. "CRISTIANO, CON CUADRO GRIPAL, JUEGA SIEMPRE". Además, anunció que el atacante francés, Fernando Gago y Sami Khedira estarán en el once inicial en el partido de vuelta de los octavos de final de la Copa del Rey ante el Levante, por lo que el centrocampista argentino disputará sus primeros minutos esta temporada y además portará el brazalete de capitán debido a las ausencias de Casillas, Ramos y Marcelo. "Fernando (Gago) empieza como capitán. Son sus primeros minutos, es un jugador que necesitamos porque es una posición de desgaste y me gusta desde el momento que llegué aquí, pero ha tenido tantos problemas que no he podido contar con él nunca", señaló el entrenador luso. Además, Khedira, "porque no jugó de inicio contra el Getafe", también saldrá de inicio, mientras que sobre el brasileño Kaká, el portugués intentará "darle 20 ó 30 minutos para utilizarle progresivamente hasta que pueda empezar". El que no estará será Cristiano Ronaldo, que no aparece en la convocatoria por primera vez en la temporada. "Tiene un cuadro gripal, pero Cristiano, con cuadro gripal, juega siempre. Si fuera un partido diferente con un resultado diferente me arriesgaría con Cristiano. Vamos sin Cristiano y sin Di María, pero con un equipo muy bueno", sentenció.