Ruud van Nistelrooy Done for the Season With Knee Injury

Real Madrid have confirmed that Ruud van Nistelrooy will miss the remainder of the Primera Liga season due to a knee injury.

Van Nistelrooy visited the United States this week to see specialist Dr. Richard Steadman about his injured right knee. After undergoing an exploratory arthroscopic operation to determine the extent of the problem, it has been decided that surgery will be required.

Madrid said in a statement on their website: ''The estimated time he will be out is from six to nine months, depending on the recovery.'

It's the same knee that Steadman operated on in 2000 when the Dutchman suffered ligament damage while playing for PSV Eindhoven.

The 32-year-old was hoping the latest problem would only keep him sidelined for a few months at the most. However, today's confirmation that he will need surgery means he will now most likely miss the remainder of the season.

The Madrid statement confirmed: ''Following an exploratory arthroscopic operation on Wednesday, it was determined that Ruud van Nistelrooy had a partially torn meniscus in his right knee.

''Real Madrid's medical staff, Dr Steadman, and the player decided to surgically repair the damaged knee.''

Van Nistelrooy most recently played for Madrid in last week's shocking 2-0 home defeat to Juventus in Champions League action. He was substituted nine minutes from the finish.

Losing the retired Holland international is a further blow for Madrid and their coach Bernd Schuster, who has found himself under pressure after some poor results.

The pressure has mounted so much that there are even suggestions in the Spanish press that Schuster could be fired if Madrid don't win their next La Liga match at Real Valladolid.

Van Nistelrooy joined Madrid in 2006 from Manchester United and in his first season at the Bernabeu netted 25 league goals to finish as the Primera Liga's leading scorer.

Madrid won the title that year, and they successfully defended it last season when Van Nistelrooy, despite sitting out part of the campaign with an ankle problem, netted 16 more goals.

I don't know who's more disappointed about the injury: Schuster, or Nistelrooy who was having a great season with seven goals in 10 matches.