MADRID - Real Madrid defender Pepe will miss today’s ‘El Classico’ Spanish Super Cup clash with Barcelona after bashing his head in the season’s first game, coach Jose Mourinho confirmed yesterday.

“Pepe won’t play,” he told a news conference on the eve of the match against archrivals Barcelona at the Camp Nou. Pepe clashed heads in mid-air with goalkeeper Iker Casillas in the 1-1 home draw with Valencia on Sunday.

“For him yes but for us no,” he added. “It is not human to risk a player for a football game, whatever the game is. So, there is no doubt either with the medical department or with the coach that Pepe will not play.

Real Madrid defender Raul Albiol will replace Pepe, Mourinho revealed but refused to give more details of the lineup. Pepe had to quit the field at halftime after the head clash and spent a night at a Madrid hospital, where a medical report said he arrived “in a confused and agitated state”.

But a scan revealed no serious damage and he improved overnight to show a “good level of awareness”, it added. – Nampa/AFP