Real Madrid's injury crisis deepened on Thursday with the news that their Argentinean defender Gabriel Heinze will be out of action for the next three weeks.

Heinze, who can play in either central defence or at left back, suffered a muscle injury in his left thigh during Real Madrid's 1-0 win over Bate Borisov on Tuesday night.

He is the sixth player in the Madrid squad struggling to be fit for this Saturday's Primera Liga match away to Getafe.

Strikers Ruud Van Nistelrooy and Gonzalo Higuain are out along with midfielders Ruben de la Red, Mahamadou Diarra and winger Arjen Robben.

More importantly for Real Madrid coach Bernd Schuster, Heinze will not recover in time for the vital league game in the Camp Nou Stadium against title rivals FC Barcelona on December 12.

(Xinhua News Agency November 28, 2008)