Krong Angkor

Fran: 'Real depend on Ronaldo'

(GSM) - Real Madrid hopes to sink Deportivo la Coruna to stay in touch with league leaders Barcelona. But they could face a daunting task when they are without Cristiano Ronaldo, according to former Deportivo captain Fran.

Ronaldo received a two-match suspension this week for a red card he picked up at the weekend, during the match against Malaga (2-0). The Portuguese winger was sent off after a stray elbow caught Danish defender Patrick Mtiliga.

Madrid's initial appeal against the ban was rejected by the Spanish football federation's appeals committee on Thursday, but the club have now taken their case to Spain's sporting disciplinary committee (CEDD) in a bid to have the former Manchester United man available for the Depor match.

If they won't succeed then according to Fran, their hopes of picking up a first win at the Riazor since the 1991/92 season will be all but extinguished.

"It (Ronaldo's absence) would be key because they depend on him while the others are not at their best," said club legend Fran, who played over 400 games for Depor between 1988 and 2005.

"Hopefully he will not be here, although Madrid will still give it everything. That's obvious because if they don't win, the difference to Barcelona will be very big," he told AS.

"I think it would be difficult with Cristiano (in Madrid's team), but if he doesn't play then the curse will continue; they will go away empty-handed once more. I have faith in Depor."

Real coach Manuel Pellegrini will travel to La Coruna without Rafael van der Vaart, who's still troubled by a knee injury he sustained three weeks ago during the match against Mallorca.

Ezequiel Garay, Lassana Diarra, Gonzalo Higuai­n, Mahamadou Diarra en Fernando Gago are also not available for different reasons.

The several absences have forced Pellegrini to add four players from the academy to his squad.

Deportivo lie fifth in the Primera Division, ten points adrift of Real Madrid.