Kaka undergoes successful surgery

The Brazilian has been the subject of some criticism for a lack of fitness during the club's pre-season, and Real have confirmed that the player complained of discomfort before tests showed that the former AC Milan player had to have surgery to correct the problem.

A statement on Real's official website reads: "The operation performed on the left knee of Real Madrid C. F.'s Ricardo Izecson Dos Santos Leite 'Kaka' by Dr. Marc Martens at Antwerp's AZ Monica Hospital was a success."

"The arthroscopic surgery confirmed an injury to the left meniscus with minimal inflammation of the cartilage. The player is expected to miss three to four months."

The club revealed that assessments showed the player's earlier hernia problem had significantly improved after treatment, but this new setback will certainly rule the £56m man out of the early part of the forthcoming season.

After defeating Club America 3-2 yesterday, Mourinho also commented on Kaka's fitness, "Kaka is loved by all his teammates and he is an excellent player, but we want him to be 100% so that he is happy. It's no big deal if we have to lose him for a while. We have other players and that is that. He is one of the best players in the world."

Saying this, Kaka will have a mountain to climb after he recovers from his injury as all football players know that they have to really prove themselves to crack the first team under Mourinho.