Ramos to miss Liverpool, Barcelona games with calf injury

Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos has been ruled out of both of his side's Champions League quarterfinal ties against Liverpool, as well as the La Liga 'Clasico' against FC Barcelona on April 10, reported Xinhua.

Real Madrid confirmed on Thursday that "our captain, Sergio Ramos, has been diagnosed with a muscle injury on the inside of his left calf."

Ramos returned to the club after playing the last five minutes of Spain's 3-1 win against Kosovo in Seville on Wednesday night. His absense from the starting 11 was a surprise, but Ramos insisted post-game that it was due to a "technical decision" and not because of any physical problems.

The veteran only played the first 45 minutes of Spain's 1-1 draw against Greece a week ago, which coach Luis Enrique revealed that he and Ramos had previously agreed upon, and the central defender was rested for Spain's 2-1 win in Georgia on Sunday.

The defender will also miss Saturday's return to La Liga action at home to Eibar. Although Real Madrid have not indicated how long Ramos will be out for, reports in Spain suggest he could be sidelined for around a month.