Real plan sans Carlos

Real Madrid have been hit by an injury to Brazil defender Roberto Carlos as they resume Spanish League action at Sevilla on Sunday.

Madrid, who lie second to Valencia who have the same number of points, must do without their attack-minded defender and goalkick specialist after he tore a left thigh muscle in their 0-0 Champions League draw at Partizan Belgrade on Tuesday.

Club doctors said the left back would be out for up to three weeks, meaning he must also sit out Brazil's World Cup qualifiers against Peru in Lima on November 16 and at home to Uruguay in Curitiba three days later.

Complicating matters for Real coach Carlos Queiroz is that right back Michel Salgado is suspended for the Sevilla match having earned his fifth yellow card in the 3-0 victory over Athletic Bilbao last Saturday.

Queiroz will probably bring in Francisco Pavon for Salgado and Raul Bravo for Roberto Carlos though he could also take the option of calling up 21-year-old Ruben Gonzalez.

On a brighter note for Real, veteran defensive midfielder Ivan Helguera has recovered well after getting a blow on the head in a clash with Partizan striker Andrija Delibasic.

Helguera was taken to hospital but is expected to be available against Sevilla.

Officials at leaders Valencia, who host Racing Santander on Saturday, meanwhile have not overlooked the quality play of 38-year-old Italian defender Amedeo Carboni.

The player has impressed sporting director Jesus Garcia Pitarch as well as coach Rafa Benitez and, despite his age, the signs are he will get an extension to his contract.

Carboni is the only left-sided defender at the club and Benitez is expected to try and find precautionary cover when the winter transfer window opens.

Third-placed Deportivo La Coruna, who host Real Sociedad on Saturday, are reeling from what Marca sports newspaper described as the biggest disaster in the history of the club.

Deportivo scored twice through Diego Tristan and Lionel Scaloni also found the net in Wednesday's Champions League action against Monaco.

The only problem was that Monaco scored eight times, the most ever by any club since the Champions League was born in the early 90s and the most goals ever scored against a Spanish club in European competition.

The previous most goals scored against a representative of the Spanish league was when German club Karlsruhe thrashed Valencia 7-0 in the second round, second leg of the 1993/94 UEFA Cup.