Ndinga absent for Auxerre denouement

AJ Auxerre will be without Delvin Ndinga for their final Group G game at Real Madrid CF, with the Congolese defensive midfielder ruled out until January with a thigh injury.

The 22-year-old tore a muscle in his thigh in training on Wednesday with the club not expecting to see him back in action until January. A graduate of the Auxerre academy, Ndinga has played in every minute of his side's UEFA Champions League group stage campaign, leaving coach Jean Fernandez with a big gap to fill at the Santiago Bernabéu.

Auxerre are already without full-backs Cédric Hengbart and Jérémy Berthod as well as strikers Anthony Le Tallec and Ireneusz Jeleń. They lie bottom of Group G, but can claim third place – and a UEFA Europa League round of 32 berth – of they get more points in Spain than AFC Ajax can manage against AC Milan.