Real want duo cleared for Europe

Real Madrid have appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) to allow Lassana Diarra and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar play in the Champions League.

The Spanish side meet Liverpool in the last 16 and Uefa rules say clubs can add three players to their squad for the knockout stages of the competition.

But both Diarra (Portsmouth) and Huntelaar (Ajax) have played in the Uefa Cup already this season.

And only one player can play in another European event in the same season.

Uefa turned down Real's appeal for the two players to be added to the list last week.

A statement from Cas said: "Real Madrid requests that the Uefa decision be annulled and that Uefa be ordered to register Huntelaar and Diarra."

Real face Liverpool in the first leg on 25 February and the second leg on 10 March.