Real Madrid's Diarrà Ruled Out For The Season

After Drenthe limped out of training on Monday morning, Real Madrid received even more bad news when it was revealed that their influential midfielder requires surgery that will see him sidelined for around nine months.

Mahamadou Diarrà has been ruled out for the rest of the season in what is a serious blow to Real Madrid's efforts to turn their season around and may cause the club to have to buy a new midfielder.

The Mali international picked up the initial injury mid-October after suffering a knock while playing for his country against Chad, but then came back for a month.

At the end of November though he was ruled out again and now Madrid club doctors have announced that he will have to have an operation to solve the problem.

Initial predictions are that he will be out of action for between six and nine months and that will mean that he will not see any more action for Los Merengues this term.

Bernd Schuster has bemoaned the injury problems at the Bernabéu and had hoped that Diarrà could recover without having to have surgery, but this news may now force the coach to go to the board for a new player.

Fernando Gago has been playing in front of Madrid's back four while Javi García could step in, although Schuster is not keen on making him a regular yet, and Drenthe can cover, although he has also just picked up a knock.

While Los Merengues are keen to add to their front line after securing the services of Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, a new midfielder could also now be on the agenda, even if only on loan.