Soccer / Football : Spain : Primera Liga 2009/2010

Barcelona duo Dani Alves and Yaya Toure face spells on the sidelines after picking up injuries at the weekend. Brazilian full back Alves will be sidelined for three weeks after suffering the recurrence of a right calf muscle tear in the warm-up to Saturday's 2-1 league triumph over Getafe. Ivorian midfielder Toure has damaged a left thigh muscle during the game and will be absent for 10 to 15 days.

Leaders Barcelona survived red cards for Gerard Pique and Rafael Marquez to complete a 2-1 victory over Getafe in the Primera Division while Real Madrid kept pace with a 3-0 win at home to Espanyol. Barcelona have 55 points, Real Madrid are second on 47, while Valencia spoiled Onesimo Sanchez's debut as Valladolid coach, winning 2-0 to stay third with 42 points.

A late header from Nunes earned Mallorca a 1-0 win over Villarreal which preserved their perfect home record and moved them up to fourth in the Spanish top flight. Mallorca have 37 points, one ahead of Sevilla, who suffered a miserable night at struggling Zaragoza, losing 2-1 and finishing the game with nine men. Sihth-placed Deportivo La Coruna drew 0-0 at Malaga.

The Spanish Sporting Disciplinary Committee decided not to reopen the case of Cristiano Ronaldo's two-match ban, forcing the Portuguese to sit out the second match of his suspension, picked up against Malaga for a wayward elbow, this Saturday against Espanyol.

Midfielder Santi Cazorla is set to be sidelined for six weeks after a double injury blow. The 26-year-old Spain international underwent the operation on his hernia, repairing a problem that has nagged him since the start of the season. He was already sidelined by a muscle tear in his right thigh. Cazorla who has scored three goals from 14 appearances as Villarreal have struggled, sitting 10th in the Primera Division.

Valladolid have sacked coach Jose Luis Mendilibar after a poor run of from and reserve team coach Onesimo Sanchez would take over first-team duties. Sunday's draw against relegation rivals Almeria left the club just one point above the drop zone, with only three wins in their past 31 league games. Onesimo has been given the job of saving the team from relegation. Meanwhile, Valladolid have taken Valencia left back Asier del Horno on loan until the end of the season.

Villarreal have promoted Juan Carlos Garrido to first-team coach until the end of the season following the sacking of Ernesto Valverde. Garrido, 40, has been closely involved with Villarreal's youth system and led the club's B team into the second division last season. Former Getafe coach Michael Laudrup was believed to be the frontrunner for the job at the club, but Garrido has been named interim coach until at least the summer.

Zaragoza have signed Brazilian midfielder Edmilson from Palmeiras until the end of the season. The 33-year-old was a part of the Brazil side that won the World Cup in 2002 and the Barcelona squad that won the UEFA Champions League in 2006. Struggling Zaragoza have made a flurry of January signings including goalkeeper Roberto, defender Matteo Contini, midfielders Jiri Jarosik and Eliseu, and strikers Adrian Colunga and Humberto Suazo.

Villarreal have sacked coach Ernesto Valverde following Sunday's 2-0 league defeat at home to Osasuna. Valverde only took over at the club in the summer following Manuel Pellegrini's departure to Real Madrid. However, Villarreal, who finished fifth last season, have had a disappointing season and are 10th in the standings with just seven wins from 20 matches. They will name Valverde's replacement in the next few days.