Sergio Ramos has broken his silence after news surfaced of his injury that will keep the Real Madrid captain on the sidelines.
Liverpool are due to meet Madrid in the quarter-final of the Champions League, with the first leg taking place on Tuesday.
In a statement, the La Liga club have confirmed that, after examining Ramos following his return from international duty with Spain, he has picked up a muscle injury in his leg.
Real have not put a time frame on his return to action, but Spanish journalist Alfredo Martinez said the 35-year-old would be out for "about a month”, which would also rule him out of the return leg at Anfield on April 14.
Soon after the news was confirmed, Ramos took to Instagram to post a message expressing his disappointment over the news.
“The truth is that I have been a pretty tough few weeks,” Ramos wrote, via a translation from Spanish to English.
“An intervention is always a sporting and emotional break.
“Luckily, for a few days now I have been feeling better, but in football as in life, bad luck also plays a role.
“Yesterday, after the game, I was training on the pitch and I noticed a puncture in my left calf. “
“Today I have been tested and it has been confirmed that I have a muscle injury.
“If there is something that hurts me, it is not being able to help the team in these highly demanding matches in which we play the season and also not being able to return the love and energy that you transmit to me on the pitch.
“I can't do anything but speak frankly, work hard and cheer on the team with my soul.”
