MADRID – Jose Mourinho has included Pepe in his squad for Wednesday’s Copa del Rey match at Barcelona, where the Real Madrid defender could receive a hostile reception after his stamp on Lionel Messi.
Pepe’s inclusion for the second leg of the quarterfinals at the Camp Nou was uncertain after the Portugal defender missed Sunday’s league win over Athletic Bilbao because of injury. But Mourinho included Pepe, who has apologized to Messi for “involuntarily” stamping on his left hand in Barcelona’s 2-1 win last week in the first leg.
Mourinho also included Ricardo Carvalho in the 21-man list, while Angel di Maria and Sami Khedira are sidelined by injuries.
Madrid has won only once in nine meetings against Barcelona since Mourinho’s arrival in 2010.
