Capello recalls outcast Beckham

David Beckham, seen here January 2007. Beckham's month-long spell in the stands since he announced he was leaving Real Madrid in the summer is set to come to an end after the club announced that he will be recalled to the squad for their league game against Real Sociedad at the weekend.

Real Madrid coach Fabio Capello has changed his mind as he called up David Beckham for Saturday's match against struggling Real Sociedad to end the former England star's month-long spell on the sidelines.

Capello had banished Beckham, 31, to the stands since the player announced he was leaving Real Madrid in the summer for Los Angeles Galaxy.

But after the Italian's policy of dumping the club's remaining "galactico" -- having sold Ronaldo to AC Milan -- to play youngsters instead backfired with consecutive league defeats, leaving Real's title ambitions on the slide, Capello gave ground, after the board and the rest of the squad had spoken in Beckham's favour.

"He is a great professional and we are counting on him until the end of the season," said Capello Friday.

Recognising he was too hasty to drop one of his most experienced players, Capello said: "The wise thing to do was to rectify" his original decision.

"I will talk with him and we'll see what transpires," he added, without specifying if Beckham would start the game as Real look to make up a five-point gap on leaders Barcelona.

Real Madrid's website Friday showed a picture of a smiling Beckham in training as he prepared for Sunday's showdown and the club said that the midfielder was a "happy participant" as "everybody knew his name was going to appear" on the squad sheet to be posted up later in the day.

On Thursday, Beckham, who had only intermittently featured in the side this season before being dropped, told sports daily Marca he was "dying to play" and wanted to help the team.

Capello was himself given a vote of confidence after last week's disastrous home loss to Levante.

"I work serenely. The people who make the decisions around here are the chairman" Ramon Calderon, Capello observed.