. Rafael Benitez has revealed that Real Madrid will be without the services of Gareth Bale, Sergio Ramos and James Rodriguez as they take on Malmo FF in the Champions League.
Speaking in a press conference ahead of the match, the manager refused to speak about his injured players as he revealed that Jese Rodriguez had successfully returned to the squad after picking up an injury against Malaga.
As reported by AS, Benitez claimed that a team like Real Madrid allowed the manager to rotate his squad in the wake of the injuries suffered by his key players.
a A team like Real Madrid allows you to do it.
a Our focus is this game. Theya d (other injured players) be here if they were fit to play. Jese is herea .
With both Gareth Bale and James Rodriguez ruled out due to injuries, Real Madrid seem to be curiously out of ideas as they failed to find the back of the net against Malaga. While Cristiano Ronaldo was wasteful in front of the goal, the likes of Isco and Jese failed to provide the spark that was needed to lift the team ahead of a series of crucial fixtures.
Along with Sergio Ramos, Pepe too failed to make the trip to Sweden as the experienced duo remain sidelined due to injuries. While Real Madrid will hoping for their swift return ahead of their clash against Atletico Madrid, it will be interesting to see how Rafa Benitez manages the squad ahead of the Madrid derby.