Real Madrid full back Alvaro Arbeloa will miss his side’s La Liga matches at home to Malaga and away against Espanyol after failing to recover properly from his back injury.
The former Liverpool player, who signed for Los Merengues in 2009, has been out for a month with the injury but had hoped to be back in time to face Champions League quarter-finalists Malaga.
Arbeloa, who has made 153 appearances for the Spanish giants, has been having pain killing injections over the last few weeks, but told the Madrid medical staff he was still in some discomfort, forcing him to miss another week of action.
He now faces a race against time to be fit for his side’s Copa del Rey final against fierce rivals Atletico de Madrid on May 17.
