Former Real Madrid coach Juande Ramos has backed Manuel Pellegrini's stand against Guti.

Pellegrini is refusing to select Guti after a bust-up in the Copa del Rey defeat to Alcorcon earlier this season.

Ramos said: "His talent is undeniable. The problem is that the coach must make decisions that benefit the team and not the player. You cannot make decisions to help a player if it hurts the team."

Asked about Raul's situation, Ramos admits he actually played the Real captain in a withdrawn role after noticing a drop-off in his leg-speed.

He added: "Raul has some great statistics and has been a very important player for Real Madrid. Eventually he slowed down and I used to play him behind the striker.

"I am surprised that he is not playing because he's a very intelligent player who can do things others cannot."