Real Madrid confirmed this Tuesday that it has reached an agreement to loan Dutch midfielder Royston Drenthe to recently promoted side Hercules.

The 23-year-old, who can play at either left back or on the left of midfield will play with the Alicante based side for the rest of the campaign.

Real Madrid have been hit by the news that midfielder Fernando Gago has been ruled out for up to five weeks.

The Argentine midfielder will now miss the start of the new Primera Liga campaign after suffering an internal ligament injury to his left knee.

The 24-year-old suffered the setback whilst playing for Los Blancos in Tuesday’s 2-0 friendly victory at home to Uruguay’s Penarol.

Real Madrid defender Raul Albiol will be sidelined through injury for at least a month, said the club, which is already without Pepe and Ezequiel Garay in its backline for the start of the season.

The Spanish international has suffered a sprained right ankle, Real said in a statement on Wednesday.

TRIBUTES flooded in last night for one of Wales’ best-loved footballers.

Brian Clark will forever be remembered by Cardiff City fans as the man who scored their famous winning goal over Real Madrid in 1971.

He died in Whitchurch Hospital, Cardiff, on Monday evening after months battling Alzheimer’s disease. He was 67.

Real Madrid is playing a preseason exhibition Wednesday night against Mexico’s Club America in San Francisco at Candlestick Park.

It will be the first time Real Madrid has played in San Francisco.

Real Madrid is widely considered to be the world’s top soccer club with 10 players participating in this year’s World Cup.

Khedira, 23, has been linked with a move to La Liga after his performances for Germany at the World Cup finals when he superbly stepped into the breach left by the injured Michael Ballack.

A move to Real was initially held up as the player went on holiday after the World Cup, but now he has returned to Stuttgart to finalise a move to Jose Mourinho’s new club.

Former Spain striker Raul has joined German side Schalke after ending his 18-year career with Real Madrid.

The 33-year-old, who announced his departure from the Spanish giants on Monday, had hinted he could make a move to a Premier League side in England.

Maicon’s agent has demanded an apology from Inter Milan for apparently negotiating his client’s transfer to Real Madrid without the knowledge of the defender.

Jose Mourinho, who led Inter to the Treble last season, has identified his former player as a key recruit for Real this summer and it is reported in the Spanish press that the Primera Liga club have made an offer of €28 million for Maicon.

The World Cup may have been over on Sunday – and a lot longer for most of us – but the celebrations will continue in Spain for a very long time.

Especially for Iker Casillas and his girlfriend Sara Carbonero who were snapped out enjoying a post-tournament meal with some friends in Madrid last night.

But despite making history just a few days earlier when Spain lifted the World Cup for the first time ever, the country’s goalkeeper stayed sober so he could drive him and his sports journalist girlfriend home afterwards.

Football fans celebrated wildly in Madrid on Wednesday night as Spain beat Germany 1-0 to advance into the World Cup final for the first time.