Real hopeful Kaka will recover for El Clasico

(GSM) – Real Madrid general manager Jorge Valdano is optimistic about Kaka’s chances to face Barcelona on Saturday.

The Brazilian midfielder has been sidelined for almost a month with a thigh injury but is desperate to feature against the arch rivals and spent Monday, a designated day off, training with physiotherapist Pedro Chueca at Valdebebas in a bid to prove his fitness.

His participation in Real’s most important match of the season remains in doubt with Rafael van der Vaart set to deputise once again should he fail to make it – but Valdano offered a more encouraging prognosis.

“Now it is a medical problem but hopefully on Saturday it will be only a technical problem,” he told AS. “If you are able, of course you should play.”

Valdano acknowledged the importance of El Clasico but refused to label it as a decisive match for the title.

“The league does not end there,” he said. “We are approaching a special game with a lot of tension on it but whatever happens, the fight for the title will remain open.

“It is one of the great days of the year and its importance is maybe not crucial, but very large. It’s those games where points count double and it is very clear that each point at the moment is almost decisive.”

Real head into the game on the back of 12 successive wins – a run which has seen them score 41 goals – and Valdano added: “We are on a long winning run and every day we have become more solid.”

Midfielder Guti is confident his side can hurt Barca at the Bernabeu. “It will be an important game and we have no fear of anyone,” he told Marca. “We must recognise that Barcelona are doing very well and their players can cause us problems. But we have weapons to beat them.”