Xabi Alonso refusing to give return date

Real Madrid midfielder Xabi Alonso has refused to put a timescale on his return to action.

The Spain international underwent surgery to cure a groin problem over the summer, and missed the Confederations Cup because of the procedure.

The former Liverpool man was then close to a full recovery before breaking a bone in his foot, and he was coy when quizzed on his return date, stating that he would be "playing soon".

"I'm hoping to be playing soon. It's been a tough summer," Alonso told reporters.

"I decided not to go to the Confederations Cup, and to have the operation instead. I think it was the logical thing to do and the best approach both for me and the team, because I wasn't going to be okay and to compete you need to be 100%.

"Then, I was close to playing when I managed to break a bone in my foot. I had to stop and was using a walking frame, which meant the recovery from the hernia went backwards."

Alonso moved to Madrid from the Reds in 2009 for a fee of around £30m.