Real Madrid has suffered a double injury blow in its efforts to win this season's BBVA Primera Liga title.
Midfielder Rafael Van der Vaart and club captain Raul Gonzalez were both forced out of Saturday's hard fought 2-1 win in Zaragoza and are now doubtful for the remaining games of the season.
Van der Vaart was forced out of the game after tearing a muscle in his left thigh after just 14 minutes. A torn muscle normally means a player will be out of action for at least three weeks.
The Dutch midfielder has been a key player for Real Madrid in recent weeks and although Kaka returned to action in Zaragoza, Van der Vaart' s presence and battling spirit will be missed.
Club captain Raul replaced Van der Vaart in the game and opened the scoring for Real Madrid in the 50th minute. However, he did so moments after twisting his right ankle and he too had to limp out of the game a minute later.
He was later pictured in the dugout with an icepack on his ankle, which looked to be severely swollen. The club will wait until the swelling has died down before carrying out further tests, but any ligament damage would mean Raul' s campaign is effectively over.
Only three days ago Raul insisted that he intended to see out the remaining year on his contract, but if the club wants to sell him over the summer, he could have played his last game for Real Madrid.
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