MORIENTES OUT FOR EIGHT WEEKS

Spanish international Morientes, who scored the opening goal in last year‚ÇÖs Champions League final against Valencia, picked up the injury in a pre-season game against Italian Serie A side Napoli.

In what was a fiery contest for a friendly, Morientes twisted his knee ligaments in an accidental collision forcing him to go off early in the game.

This latest injury is a setback for Morientes who had just returned to action after recovering from an ankle injury.

Morientes will miss the start of the new La Liga season and also the start of the club‚ÇÖs defence of the Champions League. The injury does not require surgery but the skillful frontman, controversially left out of his country`s Euro 2000 squad, will need to rest the injury for around two months.

"He has some damaged fibres of the ligament, a partial breakage but nothing serious and he does not need surgery," said a Real Madrid team doctor.