Champions League Round-up Real Madrid's Champions League plans for tomorrow's visit to Manchester United have been rocked by the news striker Raul has undergone an emergency operation for acute appendicitis.

The 25-year-old was rushed to hospital yesterday evening after being included in coach Vicente del Bosque's squad, scheduled to fly to England this morning.

He had trained apart in the gym in the morning in an attempt to protect the twisted ankle that had hampered his performance against Barcelona at the weekend. However, after going home, Raul returned to Madrid's Cuidad Deportiva training ground with a fever and in severe pain.

After a brief examination, he was rushed to the Clinica Ruber, where he was operated on in the presence of Madrid's club doctor Alfonso del Corral.

The normal recovery time from an appendix operation is around four weeks, which will mean he misses four vital Primera Liga games as Real battle for the title and a possible Champions League semi-final should Madrid get past United.

Nevertheless, Raul's agent Gines Carvajal expects his client to recover in record time.

"Knowing what he's like, he won't be able to stand being shut up at home and will want to get back to training as soon as possible." Real head to Old Trafford for the quarter final second leg tie with a 3-1 lead.

A Juventus side missing David Trezeguet will have to succeed where all others have failed this season if they are to prevent Barcelona's Champions League bandwagon rolling on into the semi-finals (TV3, kick-off 7.45).

Barcelona's 1-1 draw away to Juventus in the quarter-final first leg two weeks ago stretched the Catalan club's unbeaten run in Europe this season to 15 games.

That leaves Juventus's hopes of making the semi-finals resting on them becoming the first side to take something positive away from a European game at the Nou Camp this season.

Valencia will go into tonight's game against Inter Milan with the criticism of furious coach Rafa Benitez still ringing in their ears.

Valencia, the defending Spanish champions, have had their hopes of a successful title defence slip away to virtually nothing after a run of just one win in seven games.

They are also in danger of going out of Europe at the quarter-final stage after their 1-0 defeat away to Inter in the opening leg.