Raphael Varane picked up abductor injury in Real Madrid's 2-0 win over Osasuna on Saturday; centre-back could be replaced by Sergio Ramos, who is fit to return after a month on the sidelines; Marcelo also set to be available for Spanish side
Monday 3 May 2021 13:42, UK
Raphael Varane is set to miss Real Madrid's Champions League semi-final second leg at Chelsea on Wednesday.
The 28-year-old centre-back sustained an injury to his right abductor during Real's 2-0 win over Osasuna on Saturday.
He was forced off the field at half-time and now looks likely to miss the tie at Stamford Bridge.
Real will also be without Dani Carvajal due to the hamstring injury he suffered during the first leg last week, with the right-back set to miss the rest of the season.
Zinedine Zidane could also be without Federico Valverde, who has not played since the 0-0 draw at Liverpool on April 14 after being diagnosed with coronavirus.
However, Real could replace Varane with captain Sergio Ramos after he returned to training at the end of last week. The 35-year-old defender has not featured since playing for Spain at the end of March.
Marcelo is also set to be available for the Spanish side, despite being selected to work in a polling station during regional elections in Madrid on Tuesday.
Real drew 1-1 with Chelsea in the first leg in Madrid, meaning they must better that score in west London on Wednesday if they are to reach their first final since 2018.
Mino Raiola says Real Madrid will be able to afford to sign Erling Haaland this summer, despite the Spanish champions' financial issues.
Real reported a debt of €354.3m (£307m) in the financial year to last June with finances having been affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
While Haaland has a reported £66m release clause in his contract that comes into effect next summer, Raiola and his father, Alf Inge Haaland, held talks with Barcelona and Real earlier this year.
The striker would be expected to fetch over £100m for Borussia Dortmund if they sold him this summer and, when asked whether Real could afford to buy him, Raiola said: "I don't know if they can afford him, because I've haven't studied their books. But I think they can.
"I think they all can. The question is different: can Madrid afford not to buy Haaland? And Barca?"
"He [Haaland] needs to tell me when everything is clear and I can create a menu for him, and put the things on his plate: we've got this, that and the other.
"And at the moment we can't. What we know as of today is that Dortmund spoke extremely solemnly to us and said, 'we are not selling him'. That's the situation, definitely.
"That's what they've said. Now let's see if that desire is still there through to the 1st of September."
