Ronaldo missed last week´s 3-1 win at Deportivo, which snapped a 31-match skid without a win at the Riazor, and feels the club will continue its success even with the $132-million man sidelined.

"Ronaldo is an essential player, but without him we also managed to move top in La Liga and to win important matches," Pellegrini said.

Real claimed the top spot in La Liga while Ronaldo was injured earlier in the season, and stayed on the heels of first-place Barcelona without him one week ago.

Karim Benzema scored a pair of goals in last week´s victory, and Pellegrini is always confident he can field a team capable of winning even if Ronaldo is not a part of the lineup.

Real welcomes struggling Espanyol to the Bernabeu on Saturday. Real is perfect at home this season, winning all 10 matches in La Liga, while Espanyol has had a tough time on the road, winning just once in nine matches.

Barcelona hosts Getafe earlier Saturday, but Pellegrini insists the result of that match will have no impact on Real.

"We are not concerned about Barcelona," Pellegrini said. "We don´t feel any pressure from Barcelona.

"It is important to earn as many points as possible because each point that we lose makes accomplishing our goals that much more difficult."

Espanyol is coming off a 1-0 victory over Athletic Bilbao, but will be without captain Ivan De La Pena. He will undergo surgery soon and may miss up to three months.

Real Madrid has not lost at the Bernabeu to Espanyol since the 1995-96 season. Espanyol has managed just three goals on the road all season, while totaling a mere five points through a win and two draws.

Espanyol sits just six points above the drop zone, but also just 13 points out of fourth and a Champions League berth.

Barcelona will try to extend its season-long unbeaten streak to 21 games when Getafe visits the Camp Nou. Barca enters the weekend with a five-point cushion on Real and a 13 point edge on third-place Valencia, which hosts Valladolid on Saturday.

On Sunday, Sevilla will try to hold onto fourth when it visits Real Zaragoza, Mallorca puts its perfect 9-0-0 home record on the line against Villarreal and Deportivo visits Malaga in matches involving top-six clubs.

Also Sunday, Athletic Bilbao hosts Xerez, Almeria hosts Sporting Gijon, Racing hosts Atletico Madrid, and Osasuna hosts Tenerife.