Cristiano Ronaldo Real Madrid
Cristiano Ronaldo has reportedly been suffering from tendinosis as he and the Portugal team prepare for the World Cup 2014 in Brazil. Now, a feared Ghanaian witch doctor is claiming responsibility for his injury. Reuters

If there was any hope Cristiano Ronaldo would be able to play in Wednesday's Copa del Rey final against Barcelona, Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti squashed that belief at his Tuesday prematch news conference. Indicating that Ronaldo -- who has been out of action in Los Blancos' previous two outings -- will not be present when his side takes the pitch in Valencia against their La Liga rivals, the 54-year-old coach said he did not feel comfortable with taking a risk regarding the 2013 Ballon d'Or Award winner's health, especially since Real Madrid has important matches remaining this season.

“Cristiano Ronaldo will not be there,” Ancelotti said. “We know that since this morning. Cristiano is not available to play as we do not want to take risks as we have other important games this season. He will train tomorrow and then travel with the squad to Valencia. But we have many players and this team has always reacted well to absences, and we will do it again tomorrow. I have decided which player will start but I am not going to say it. Cristiano's absence makes everyone more motivated and we have played very well in games he's missed. Tomorrow there will be no problem in terms of motivating players.”

Due to lingering knee and thigh problems, the 29-year-old forward has not been able to help Madrid climb the table in the Spanish Primera Division. While Los Blancos certainly want to take down rival Barcelona in the Copa del Rey, achieving the top spot in La Liga is a major goal as well. Currently trailing rival Atletico Madrid by three points in the standings with just five matches remaining, Real will certainly need a healthy CR7 present if they're to have a stronger chance of winning the league. While his absence is surely a blow, news that Ronaldo could miss next week's UEFA Champions League semifinal showdown against defending champion Bayern Munich was also a hard pill to swallow.

Despite Ronaldo's absence, Ancelotti believes his team will be able to overcome the challenge to take down a Barcelona team who defeated Los Blancos twice during the La Liga season.

“We're not setting out to block the other team but to win with our own identity,” he said. “We've gone a whole year playing the same way and we're going to continue. At the Bernabeu, we played well, we were winning and then we made some little mistakes. We have to be focused on the whole game. There are no problems with motivation and the team will play well. To win this final, we need courage and personality. We will show our quality on the field. It's an important competition and we're playing Barca, a historic rival. It's the first trophy we can win. Barca attack well and control the ball, even in recent games. We should have more control over game.”

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