Real Madrid and Netherlands midfielder Rafael van der Vaart damaged a thigh muscle in his left leg in Real's La Liga match at Real Zaragoza on Saturday, the club said on their website (www.realmadrid.com).
Van der Vaart, who was replaced by Raul after a quarter of an hour of Real's 2-1 victory at the Romareda, is an important part of the Dutch team that will compete at the World Cup in South Africa starting in June.
Real did not say how long he would be sidelined or whether he would be available for any of their remaining four league matches.
