After the great success in the Club World Cup in Morocco, Real Madrid returns to La Liga chasing the 1st place with more motivation and enthusiasm. In fact, there is really no time to rest as Madridistas have been training and preparing for the upcoming games immediately after the final. Carlo Ancelotti appeared in the press room at Real Madrid Sport City the day before the match against Elche, corresponding to matchday 21 of La Liga (Wednesday, 9.00 pm CET) and spoke about the team’s and players’ condition.
He also revealed the squad available for the clash, with the following players:
Goalkeepers: Lunin, Luis López and Cañizares.
Defenders: Carvajal, Militão, Alaba, Vallejo, Nacho, Odriozola, Lucas V. and Rüdiger.
Midfielders: Modrić, Camavinga, Valverde, Tchouameni, D. Ceballos and Arribas.
Forwards: Benzema, Asensio, Rodrygo and Mariano.
The Boss said: "We're feeling good, with positive sensations and we're delighted to be back to enjoy the title with our fans. We have prepared well for the Elche game. The fans know what the team is going to do, which is to fight in every game and in every competition. The fans know the professionalism and seriousness of these players. I don't think they think we are in a critical situation”.
He added: "Courtois has started training today and is not available for tomorrow's game, but I think he will be on Saturday against Osasuna. Militão was already fit for the final and Lucas Vázquez is back. We have the absence of Kroos who has a problem. Hazard trained on Thursday, but he has a knee problem. I've spoken to him, but there is no special treatment for any of the players”.
Mindset: "Our history says that winning helps you win. I think so too. When you win, you feel things you would like to repeat. What happened last year motivates us to try to repeat it, especially so that others don't feel what we felt last year. We are going to go all out tomorrow. We're at a disadvantage in the league but that doesn't mean we won't fight for every game as if it were our last, especially tomorrow”.
Vini Jr.: "I don't know the FIFPRO list. It seems strange to me that Vinicius is not here and I think it was a mistake. Vini is not available tomorrow and someone else will play in this position, which will be Rodrygo”.
Camavinga's Position: "I'm thinking about him playing as a full back. Camavinga has played well and can play at the back, but we have to bear in mind that he is a very strong midfielder. If we have an emergency he can play there. He has also played there because Alaba has been out, but now he's back and he is another option. Just like Nacho, who played in the Spanish Super Cup. In case of emergency, Camavinga will play as a full back, if we don't have any problems, he will play in the midfield”.
Rüdiger: "Rüdiger has more experience at centre-back. Nacho has also delivered. In this team it's not where you prefer to play. In the minutes Nacho has played he has contributed. He did it last year and he is doing it now. Nacho's situation is clear with the club and he has to decide what to do”.
He continued: "Barcelona are doing well. They are playing solidly and have changed the way they play. They are doing it with wingers and playing more inside. They have conceded few goals and that has been the key to their success. You can't compare them to other teams. They have players of a very high standard”.
Strikers: "It is an opinion that we need a centre-forward, but we already have one. It's Karim. He is not a child, but we have other players. It's not the right time to talk about next season. Now the Champions League is starting and we are focused on that”.
Tchoaumeni: "Until the World Cup he did very well and he surprised me in the first half of the season. He has not reached his maximum potential. He was affected by the World Cup. He had a fantastic tournament. It doesn't change his quality whether he played in double pivot or alone. But he's coming back little by little like Valverde and Kroos have done".
Kroos' Future: "I don't know what's going to happen because I'm not Kroos. He hasn't told me, but I have the feeling that he might renew. But we'll see.
Work in Defense: "In attack we are doing very well and at the back we have to work and improve. We kept clean sheets against Athletic, Real Sociedad and Valencia, but we made mistakes in the last game. That's where we have to improve. I'm confident because these mistakes are simply a problem of concentration, organization and collective commitment”.
Benzema: "I don't know if he has renewed or not, but the legends of this club have to stay at Real Madrid”.
Brazilian National Team: "The players don't ask me about it, but they do joke about it. I have friendships with the Brazilians and they laugh. The reality is different because I have a contract with Madrid until 2024.
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