Helguera faces Milan race

By Francisco Acedo

REAL MADRID defender Ivan Helguera faces a race against time to be fit for the club's crucial Champions League clash with Milan.

The Spanish international sprained his ankle in Saturday's win over Alaves and is expected to be missing for two weeks.

Real face Milan on March 12 and the side are facing up to the possibility of being without Helguera and Fernando Hierro for the game.

Helguera is refusing to rule himself out of the tie with Milan.

"This is more or less what I was expecting and in theory I will be out for two weeks," Helguera told the club's official website.

"But as we have such an important game as the one against Milan, I will try and be fit for it.

"I know it will be complicated and if I can't do it that's that, but I will start training next Sunday and try to recover in time.

"It was bad luck, but there are enough players to cover for the games we have."

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