Cristiano Ronaldo,Gareth Bale to be rested

Real Madrid will have to cope without Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale in the quest for a club-record 16th straight La Liga win after coach Zinedine Zidane said both will miss Sunday’s trip to Espanyol.

Bale was forced off early by a hip knock as Real came from behind in dramatic fashion to beat Sporting Lisbon 2-1 on Wednesday in the Champions League. Ronaldo started Real’s fightback against his old club, but misses out this weekend due to illness.

“Cristiano won’t travel. He has a problem with his throat and is not ready to play,” Zidane said on Saturday. “We are not going to risk anything,” he added.