Real Madrid coach Bernd Schuster's future is in major doubt after last night's defeat to Valladolid. It was suggested the match was a must-win game for Schuster and that speculation is likely to increase after the two-time Primera Liga champions went down to a Fabian Cannobio strike just after the break.

Schuster, whose side had defender Gabriel Heinze sent off late on against Valladolid, knows the defeat complicates things for him, but the German is refusing to panic.

"I'm calm, we are working hard, but it is clear that this result doesn't help. It's a ground where we didn't want to lose," he was quoted as saying after the match by Marca.

However, Schuster did admit in AS he was "concerned and disappointed" by the defeat, which was Madrid's fourth in their last eight matches in all competitions.

"We did not deserve to lose, we had no fortune. We changed our style of play because we lacked some men but, nevertheless, aside from the goal, our opponents did not cause us problems," added Schuster, who was without Ruud van Nistelrooy, Arjen Robben, Mahamadou Diarra, Pepe, Ruben de la Red and Christoph Metzelder.

"We didn't suffer in defence and we had chances to score."