Van Nistelrooy Fails To Make Squad
Real Madrid striker Ruud van Nistelrooy has been omitted from the squad to face Athletic Bilbao on Sunday and will now have to wait until next weekend's game with Osasuna to make his much-anticipated return to the side.
Van Nistelrooy has shown good progress on his return from a right ankle injury and there had been suggestions that he would appear in Sunday's squad ahead of schedule, although Madrid have elected to take the sensible approach and hold off on his return until next weekend as originally planned.
He could be joined on the sidelines by fellow Dutchman Roysten Drenthe, who has been named in coach Bernd Schuster's initial nineteen man squad, but could yet miss out due to his own ankle problems. If Drenthe is passed fit to play, then another player Schuster will have to drop another player from the squad in time for Sunday's game.
Fabio Cannavaro is suspended after accumulating five yellow cards, while Christoph Metzelder is still out injured.
Schuster does have Guti and Miguel Torres back from suspension for the clash with Athletic, while Raúl has successfully shrugged off the injury that had made his participation doubtful earlier in the week.
There is no place in squad for Michel Salgado or Roberto Soldado by technical decision.
Squad: Iker Casillas, Dudek, Sergio Ramos, Pepe, Heinze, Torres, Marcelo, Diarra, Gago, Guti, Drenthe, Sneijder, Balboa, Robben, Baptista, Higuaín, Robinho, Raúl and Saviola.