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Real Madrid defender Pepe will take to the field if he is ready for Wednesday's Spanish King's Cup match, said coach Jose Mourinho.
The footballer was involved in a scandal last week when he accidentally kicked Barcelona's leader Lionel Messi on the hand. Despite this, no sanctions were applied to him.
The 28-year-old Pepe has ankle problems, but if he is healthy, he will be included in the lineup for the rematch in Barcelona, where Real will seek revenge for the 1-2 defeat.
"Three players have problems: Lassana Diarra, Esteban Granero, and Pepe. The latter, if physically ready, will take to the field," Mourinho said.
The specialist did not reveal to journalists what tactics he plans to choose: "I won't answer. I'm a coach, it's my decision, and I'm not obliged to make it public. Boos from our own fans? Ask them themselves."
And he added: "At the moment, we have five points more in the league than the team that many consider the best in the world. I work for a club that often exited cup tournaments after losing to lower division teams. We won the cup last season. We are league leaders. It doesn't seem to me that we have so many problems or that things are going very badly for us."
