/world sport
LONDON, England (AP) -- Real Madrid midfielder Wesley Sneijder's left knee injury will rule him out for three months, a relief to the player and club who had feared a longer absence.
Wesley Sneijder, in blue, twists his knee as he is caught in a tackle by Arsenal's Abou Diaby.
Hour-long tests at a Madrid hospital on Monday showed that Sneijder did not tear ligaments when he was challenged clumsily by Arsenal's Abou Diaby in a preseason friendly match at Emirates Stadium on Sunday.
Sneijder's reduced absence means he should be available to play in the latter games of the Champions League group phase, as Madrid aim for a record 10th European Cup.
The 24-year-old former Ajax player has been preparing for his second season with Madrid, which kicks off with a Spanish Supercup first leg against Copa del Rey winners Valencia on August 17.
Madrid's league title defense begins with a trip to Deportivo La Coruna on August 30 or 31.
Sneijder, a halftime substitute, had only been on the field for 16 minutes of the 1-0 friendly defeat at the Emirates Stadium when he was injured.
Madrid president Ramon Calderon said the Spanish champions were "very annoyed" by Sneijder's injury.
"It's serious and it's the worst news we could get. He has, at the very least, torn his internal ligament. He is very upset, crying because it is a serious problem and very painful," Calderon was quoted as saying by news agency Efe.
Manager Bernd Schuster said: "We are really shocked by the injury. Right now it's very difficult. He's in a lot of pain. They've got to do a lot of tests and right now it doesn't look good."
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
All About Wesley Sneijder • Real Madrid CF • Netherlands • European Football
| Most Viewed | Most Emailed |
| Most Viewed | Most Emailed |
From the Blogs: 
Sit tight, we're getting to the good stuff
