Carlo Ancelotti spoke in the press room at Real Madrid City ahead of the game against Athletic Club at San Mamés, on matchday 18 of LaLiga (Sunday, 9pm CET): “We’ve taken into account what happened in the game against Villarreal. It was a very good reaction. We made mistakes in the first half, but we’ve evaluated everything. We have to recover, watch videos and not make mistakes. The game in Bilbao will be difficult. We have to play like we did in the second half of the cup game – with intensity, ideas and not below par like we’ve done in recent games”.
He continued: “This squad is untouchable. There are players who give it everything like Ceballos and Asensio. Kroos and Modric are untouchable. That doesn’t mean they have to play in every game. But these players are making history and will continue to do so at this club”..
The Italian also announced his squad for the clash, with the list as follows:
REAL MADRID SQUAD:
Goalkeepers: Courtois, Lunin, Luis López.
Defenders: E. Militão, Vallejo, Nacho, Odriozola, Rüdiger, F. Mendy.
Midfielders: Kroos, Modrić, Camavinga, Valverde, D. Ceballos.
Forwards: Benzema, Asensio, Vini Jr., Rodrygo, Mariano.
About Nacho, Ceballos and Asensio: “They‘ve shown that they can be decisive in matches and then it's up to the coach to decide whether they should start from the beginning or come on later. I can see that the players are very motivated and they’ve shown it. We have to see what happens. There are players whose contracts are up this year, but they’re motivated. That doesn't affect anything”.
On Camavinga’s rumors about leaving on loan: “Eduardo is as untouchable as Modrić and Kroos".
About Tchouameni: The Frenchman is recovering from a calf injury sustained in Los Blancos' league defeat against Villarreal in early January, with no date set for his return. He had been caught watching Chicago Bulls play against the Detroit Pistons in Paris on Thursday, while Real Madrid came from two goals down to defeat Villarreal in the Copa del Rey. Ancelotti had the final word on the controversy involving him attending an NBA game while injured: “He apologised publicly – to his teammates and the fans. He’s a young lad and may make mistakes. That’s the end of the matter. We’ll get him back soon, for next week”.
Corrections: “There’ve been some positioning mistakes, some misreads, sometimes the lines aren't together, sometimes we don't press when we have to. Soemtimes we take individual decisions that affect us and we have to control them. Our area is our friend, not an enemy. Whatever goes behind the lines is a danger and we have to control the back line before we press”.
Injuries: “We’re close to getting back Alaba, Tchouameni and Carvajal. Hazard has an ankle injury. We’ll get them all back next week. The team’s slowly getting back up to speed and making progress”.
Copa del Rey quarter-finals: “We want to play the best teams. That’s how the draws work. Atlético is a team we respect highly. It’ll be a great game because it’s a derby”.
Arribas: “He’s got everything he needs. He has to progress like all the youngsters. The youth team has some great players and we’re assessing them all”.
Ernesto Valverde: “Valverde is a great friend and we get on well. The team’s he trains have a clear identity”.
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