Helguera faces race against time to make Milan match

Real Madrid centre back Ivan Helguera faces a race against time if he is to recover for next week's Champions League match against Group C leaders AC Milan after spraining his ankle at the weekend.

Helguera twisted his right ankle during his side's 5-1 thrashing of Alaves on Saturday, a win that helped the reigning European champions displace Real Sociedad at the top of the Spanish first division.

"With an injury like this he would normally be out for two weeks," club doctor Juan Carlos Hernandez said on Monday.

"But we are at a crucial time of the season and, although it will be difficult, we are going to see if we can get him ready for the Milan match."

With skipper Fernando Hierro already out injured, Real have a shortage of cover in the centre of defence. If Helguera does not make it coach Vicente del Bosque may be forced to ask midfielder Claude Makelele to join the back four or call up one of the team's youth players.

Real are in second place in their group, but they are by no means assured of qualification. They are only one point ahead of Borussia Dortmund with two games still to play.

They meet Milan at the Bernabeu next week, while Dortmund host fourth-placed Lokomotiv Moscow at the Westfalenstadion.