International

The Real Madrid midfielder Sami Khedira has accused the La Liga club of freezing him out by dropping him from the team after contract extension talks broke down even though he was fit to play.
     The Germany international, who joined Real from VfB Stuttgart in 2010, will leave Real for free at the end of the season, with Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool and Juventus reportedly keen to sign him.
     Khedira, 28, has barely featured since the turn of the year, with Real citing a series of minor injuries as the reason for his absence. Khedira, however, told the newspaperMarca that he was no longer wanted by the club.
     “I did have a small injury, a pain in my right heel, but that wasn’t why I wasn’t playing,” Khedira said. “It wasn’t a complicated injury, I was able to play.
     “I’ve always felt that I’ve had the coach’s backing, but the message indirectly came through to me that I was no longer needed, I was frozen out and wouldn’t have a chance to continue playing. It’s not the end that I wanted. It hurts that I’m accused of a lack of professionalism because I’ve always put the team ahead of myself. I’ve always gone with the truth.”
     Khedira is not in the squad for Real’s final La Liga match of the season at home to Getafe on Saturday.