Real Madrid's Diarra Out for Season

As if Real Madrid's luck isn't bad enough these days, word out of the Berbabeu today doesn't help things.

Mali midfielder Mahamadou Diarra will be sidelined for six to nine months after undergoing knee surgery, the club announced today.

Not good news ahead of this weekend's clash with arch-rivals FC Barcelona, who just whopped my favorite club's behind 4-0.

Diarra sustained the injury to his right knee while playing for Mali against Chad in October.

He was initially out of action for two weeks before returning for Real.

A month later, however, he aggravated the injury in a league game and an X-ray last week confirmed he would need arthroscopic surgery.

Diarra will be missed by the Spanish champions and also by Mali, as he will be absent for the opening matches of their final round of qualifiers for the 2010 World Cup and African Cup of Nations, which begin in March.

MY POV: Having Diarra on the squad probably wouldn't help Madrid all that much against the FC Barca juggernaut, who look unstoppable at this point in the season. Still, major blow for the Spanish capital's team and for Mali, who will miss the midfielder greatly ...

African Player of the Year Shortlist

Some old faces, some new names in the Confederation of African Football's shortlist for the 2007 African Player of the Year.

Reigning African Footballer of the Year Didier Drogba will be up against his Chelsea team mate Michael Essien, Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor and the Spanish-based pair of Frederic Kanoute and Mahamadou Diarra for the award which will be given out in February.

Kanoute, who helped Sevilla win the UEFA Cup in 2007, could become the first European-born player to win the title. Kanoute was born near Lyon and played for France at junior levels before switching his international allegiance to Mali in 2004.

Real Madrid's Diarra helped Mali qualify for the African Cup of Nations while Adebayor's performances with Arsenal catapulted him onto the list. There's controversy with the lanky striker from Togo as Adebayor boycotted several international matches this year in an on-going dispute over money with his country's football federation.

The winner will be announced at the annual Confederation of African Football awards ceremony, scheduled for Feb 1 in Lome, Togo.

The winner is voted for in a poll of coaches of the 53 African national teams. The five finalists were chosen by an initial vote of CAF committee members.

Good luck, all!