Carlo Ancelotti has confirmed that the 29-year-old will not be risked and has called on his players to produce a big performance to beat Barcelona
Real Madrid have confirmed that Cristiano Ronaldo will miss his side’s Copa del Rey final clash with Barcelona on Wednesday.
The Portuguese star limped off during the 3-0 Champions League quarter-final first-leg win over Borussia Dortmund earlier this month.
He subsequently missed the league meetings with Real Sociedad and Almeria and was an unused substitute in the return game with Jurgen Klopp’s side.
And coach Carlo Ancelotti has confirmed that the 29-year-old will not be risked against the Catalans at Mestalla on Wednesday.
“We won’t risk it with Cristiano so he won’t play. He will train tomorrow then travel to Valencia to see the game,” he said at his press conference.
“I found out that I can’t count on Cristiano this morning. We can do well tomorrow despite the absence of some players.”
Real Madrid lost twice to Barcelona in La Liga this season but Ancelotti is confident that his side can respond.
“We’re not setting out to block the other team but to win with our own identity. We’ve gone a whole year playing the same way and we’re going to continue.
“At the Bernabeu, we played well, we were winning and then we made some little mistakes. We have to be focused on the whole game. There are no problems with motivation and the team will play well.
“To win this final, we need courage and personality. We will show our quality on the field. It’s an important competition and we’re playing Barca, a historic rival. It’s the first trophy we can win.
“Barca attack well and control the ball, even in recent games. We should have more control over games.”