Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane praised his side's character after they came from behind to claim three points against Huesca despite the absence of seven first-team regulars. The most notable absentee for the Spanish champions were captain Sergio Ramos and record signing Eden Hazard, and they looked to be on course for a second straight league defeat when Javi Galan gave struggling Huesca the lead early in the second half. But Real defender Raphael Varane struck twice to give them victory and Zidane was pleased with his side's display, even though they rode their luck as Huesca hit the bar twice and Thibaut Courtois made a superb save to deny Rafa Mir. "I'm very happy with our performance, and not just with the win, but because of how we fought and the character we showed," Zidane told reporters. "We had seven players out, including our captain having surgery, but that's how it is, it's no excuse and we have to keep fighting at the very least. The players kept believing until the end, knowing we would have to suffer." Renowned for his big smile and ability to extinguish tense situations, Zidane had veered from his usual calm persona in Friday's pre-game news conference, firing back at the press for saying Real were out of the title race. He did not wish to discuss his outburst, but he underlined his belief that his side should not be ruled out of contention of the title race, even with Atletico Madrid still seven points clear and with two games in hand. "The team is going to keep fighting, we're never going to give in, not at all," he added. "We know that we have to stand up tall and keep going until the end. We're second in the league and we want more." The Frenchman provided an update on Ramos, saying the club captain chose to undergo surgery because he was no longer able to cope with the pain of a recent knee injury. Ramos, 34, has not played since Real's Spanish Super Cup loss to Athletic Bilbao last month and though he returned to training earlier this week, he went under the knife on Saturday to treat the internal meniscus of his left knee. Zidane said that he had been in contact with Ramos and that the operation had been a success but did not state how long he would be out for. Spanish media reports said he would be sidelined for between six and 10 weeks. That would mean he misses their Champions League last-16 tie against Atalanta and possibly most of the rest of the La Liga campaign. "It was important that his mind was put at ease. The operation had to be done because he was at the limit," Zidane said. "I sent Sergio a message, I know the operation went well and the good thing is that from tomorrow he's going to get to work on returning as soon as possible and that's good news for us." The Spain international is yet to resolve his future with Real, with less than five months left on his contract with the club where he has spent the last 16 years.
