Ancelotti plays down Ronaldo injury problems

Madrid: Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti has played down Cristiano Ronaldo`s injury problems and suggested the Portugal captain may recover in time for Wednesday`s King`s Cup final against Barcelona.

Top scorer in both La Liga and the Champions League this season, Ronaldo has sat out Real`s last two matches after developing knee and thigh muscle problems in his left leg. Ancelotti confirmed the 29-year-old would not be available for Saturday`s La Liga game at home to Almeria but said the fact Real retained some hope he might feature against Barca showed the injuries were not serious. "I don`t know if he will be able to play on Wednesday," Ancelotti told a post-training news conference. "He is not happy because it is an important moment in the season," added the Italian. "If he is not at 100 percent he won`t play. If he has a chance of featuring in the Cup final that means it`s not a serious injury." Losing Ronaldo for an extended period would be a blow to Real`s hopes of claiming a rare treble of titles. They are third in La Liga, three points behind leaders Atletico Madrid and two adrift of Barca, and play Bayern Munich in their Champions League semi-final, first leg on April 23. Barca became the only Spanish team to win Europe`s elite club competition, La Liga and the King`s Cup in the same season under Pep Guardiola in 2008-09.