Ronaldo included in squad for Spurs clash
Reuters - Monday 04 April 2011, 18:09
MADRID - Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho
included forward Cristiano Ronaldo in his squad for Tuesday's
Champions League game at home to Tottenham Hotspur, the La Liga
club said on Monday.
Portuguese Ronaldo, a former World Player of the Year, has
not featured since he was sidelined by a leg muscle strain two
weeks ago but completed a full training session ahead of the
quarter-final, first leg at the Bernabeu.
Brazilian playmaker Kaka joined Ronaldo in the squad along
with fellow injury doubts Marcelo and Angel Di Maria, Real said
on their website.
Striker Karim Benzema, injured on duty with France, did not
train on Monday and was left out.
Nine-times winners Real, who are through to the last eight
for the first time in seven seasons, host Champions League
debutants Tottenham three days after the Spanish side suffered a
shock 1-0 reverse at home to Sporting Gijon in La Liga.
The loss spoiled their perfect home record in the league of
14 wins in 14 this season and ended Mourinho's incredible
nine-year unbeaten run in home league games with Porto, Chelsea,
Inter Milan and Real.
At a news conference on Monday, the Portugese dismissed a
suggestion his players would be distracted by Saturday's result,
which left them eight points adrift of great rivals Barcelona
with eight games left.
"The Champions League is the most important club competition
in the world," he said.
"It's too important and nice to play to be thinking about
anything else. It's a great match."
Gesturing towards striker Gonzalo Higuain at his side, he
added: "Do you really think he is thinking about Gijon?"
The winners of the two-legged quarter-final will play Barca
or Shakhtar Donetsk of Ukraine in the semi-finals.