Salgado backs axed team-mate Ramos

Real Madrid veteran Michel Salgado has backed team-mate Sergio Ramos, who was dropped for the weekend win over Athletic Bilbao after criticising coach Bernd Schuster.

Spain international defender Ramos paid the price for his public outburst over Schuster’s tactics, but Salgado is confident that his colleague will soon be back in the fold.

"We have talked, but the conversations that take place in the dressing room remain there," Salgado revealed. "The matter is resolved and everything has been sorted out.

"He might have been wrong, but the important thing that remains with us is that he knew how to react. He has behaved like a man in front of his team-mates.

"We have all made mistakes at one time or another, so we shouldn't give it any importance. In the dressing room we haven't.

"What's most important is that everything has been sorted out because then there won't be any more returns to the story and because Sergio is a very important player for Real Madrid and we need him to be 100 per cent."

Meanwhile, Villarreal president Fernando Roig has slammed his side’s display in their humiliating 5-0 Copa del Rey thrashing at third division Polideportivo Ejido.

A furious Roig fumed: "We were pathetic, what a disgrace. It’s not possible to play like that.

"I admit that our opponents were much better on the night. They had more motivation, they ran more and they have shown that if you do not have any desire to play, any team in any division can punish you and that is exactly what happened.

"We have to leave this game humbled and we must bounce back immediately in La Liga to wipe out this embarrassing performance."

On the injury front, Deportivo La Coruna centre-back Pablo Amo is set to be sidelined for around three months after being forced to undergo surgery on an Achilles injury.

The 30-year-old suffered the blow in training last week, having not featured for Depor at all so far this season.