Much has been made of the possibility that Real Madrid captain Raul will, despite having one more year left on his contract, seek football elsewhere at the end of the current season.

Now, having suffered a season-ending ankle sprain and having largely assumed the role of a second-half substitute for the course of the season, El Capitan has been linked with a potential move to England, as well as the United States MLS side New York Red Bulls.

As reported by Marca, the decision about Raul’s future with Real Madrid will be made by Raul and not the club, who have reportedly told the iconic captain that his future is in his own hands, and that the club will not make any attempt to force him out before the expiration of his contract on June 30, 2011.

With the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema at the club, Raul has seen his playing minutes significantly curbed this season. However, the captain has been relatively silent in voicing his displeasure, easing into his golden years with a measure of acceptance. In a recent press conference, Raul revealed that he wanted to continue playing football, but would not reveal if that meant that he would stay at Real Madrid.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — The New England Revolution has granted midfielder Shalrie Joseph an indefinite leave of absence from the team to attend to personal matters.

The team said Monday the 31-year-old Joseph left the team Saturday and will return at an unknown later date. No reason was given.

The veteran midfielder missed the first two games of the season with a hip injury.

Joseph had eight goals and eight assists last season and was a finalist in league MVP voting.