Real Madrid defender Raphael Varane has been ruled out of the Copa del Rey final against Atletico Madrid with a knee injury.

The French centre-back picked up the problem during his side's 1-1 draw with Espanyol away from home in La Liga on Saturday.

"I don't want to second guess what the medical services have to say but at this point it looks like there is a certain degree of gravity, fairly serious let's say and it is impossible that he will play the cup final or the two or three matches left until the end of the season," coach Jose Mourinho told reporters.

"We have alternatives. It is a position in which we have people who are playing well and that's good. We are obviously sorry that he cannot play in match that everyone wants to play, but there's no need to make a drama about it because we have solutions."

The final will be played at the Santiago Bernabeu on Friday May 17.