DOUBLE BLOW FOR REAL MADRID

[tonny_thuong]

Real Madrid must do without key duo Kaka and Lassana Diarra for Saturday's match with Almeria as the title hopefuls look to bounce back from last weekend's defeat to Barcelona in 'El Clasico'.
Diarra, who has been a revelation for Madrid since joining them last winter, is missing through suspension following his late red card in the 1-0 defeat to Barca at the Nou Camp, while �56million summer signing Kaka is sidelined through injury.
Kaka has been increasingly influential over the last few weeks in the absence of the injured Cristiano Ronaldo and he could also be a doubt for next week's Champions League trip to Marseille, where Madrid need a point to assure themselves of a spot in the last 16.
It is a blow for Madrid to lose Kaka just as his fellow big-money signing Ronaldo returns from injury, but coach Manuel Pellegrini insists his team is designed to cope with situations like this.
"Those two players are important and crucial, that's why they were signed, but you need to build squads for different reasons. We were able to overcome the absence of a player like Cristiano Ronaldo and with Kaka it is exactly the same," Pellegrini said.
"He will have to be replaced by another top-class player."
With Diarra missing, fellow holding midfielder Fernando Gago has been recalled to the squad amid media reports that the Argentinian will try to seek an exit during the January transfer window due to a lack of first-team opportunities.
Reports in Spain suggest Gago wants his agent to find him a new club in order to help his World Cup chances.
However, Pellegrini insists they have no plans to let the former Boca Juniors man leave.
"At the start he had injuries and afterwards I felt other players could give us more. He's still an important part of the team and there's no intention of him leaving in the winter market," he said.
"I'm sure that he will recover his place soon and will help Real Madrid."
Madrid lost top spot to Barca following Sunday's defeat, and with Pep Guardiola's side beating Xerez in a rearranged game in midweek the gap between the top two now stands at five points.
That has increased the pressure on Madrid ahead of their match with Almeria, but Pellegrini claims their attitude remains unchanged.
"We are carrying on exactly the same. The important thing now is try and end the year as leaders, or as close as possible to the leaders," added Pellegrini, who is also without the injured Guti, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Christoph Metzelder.
"(Before Christmas) we will have played all of the five strongest teams away from home: Sevilla, Barcelona, Villarreal, Atletico and Valencia. We must obtain a good number of points in the first half of the season, and this depends solely on us."
Almeria will attempt to become the first Primera Division team to take any points away from the Bernabeu this season, but recent form suggests they will find it difficult.
The Andalusian club have lost four of their six away games, while four defeats in their last five matches have left Hugo Sanchez's men just five points above the drop zone.
Nevertheless, Sanchez, returning to the club where he spent seven goal-laden seasons as a player, is not ruling out an upset.
He said: "We are going there to enjoy the game and to try to cause a surprise.
"To beat Madrid, and on their own ground, is very difficult, but it's not impossible."