Carlo Ancelotti spoke in the press room at Real Madrid City the day before the Sevilla game, which will take place at the Santiago Bernabéu (9pm CEST). He also presented the squad list for the game. In the list sees the return of Courtois and the absence of Benzema (among others) due to muscle fatigue.
REAL MADRID SQUAD:
Goalkeepers: Courtois, Lunin and Luis López.
Defenders: Carvajal, E. Militão, Alaba, Vallejo, Nacho, Odriozola, Lucas V., Rüdiger and F. Mendy.
Midfielders: Kroos, Modrić, Camavinga, Valverde and Tchouameni.
Forwards: Hazard, Asensio, Vini Jr. and Rodrygo.
The coach discussed the game as follows: "The team are doing well. Courtois is back and we'll see about the rest. Ceballos is out. Any changes I make are just to try to prevent future problems. We're on a good run of form and we have to carry on like this, being aware that every game is different and has its own difficulties. We're up a side looking to get out of a tricky period.
"It's going to be hard for us because they're doing well and have displayed their commitment and attitude over the last few games. There's never an easy game". We don't consider ourselves invincible. There has never been an invincible team in the history of football, anybody can beat you with more or less quality. Football is also about commitment and attitude. We're playing well at the moment and intend to carry on like that.
Speaking of any flaws in his team: "Continuity, something that is important in football. We always have to face this challenge because we're not always at our best and we don't always have a strong team performance. We sometimes focus too much on ourselves and there are lots of things that can be improved on a team level. On the individual level we must thank the players' parents for raising high quality footballers".
Worried about the calmness around the club: "I'm not worried about things being calm and the good mood. I'm just focussed on being ready for the difficult moment, which will come, there's no doubt about that. We need to be ready for that. It happened twice last year and we were able to put it behind us very quickly".
Bet with Valverde: "At the moment I've not had a bet with any other player. It seemed strange to me that, with all his quality, he only scored one goal last season. I've got a lot of confidence in him and it's natural for him to score with that kind of shot. Asensio also has that. He's performing at a very high level. I don't want to up the ante because I'm going to seriously risk my coaching license. We're all really happy for him because he's also still a good person".
Kroos' future: "I've spoken to him, he's really relaxed and he's going to think about it in January or February. I personally think he's going to stay, he's very happy and he's playing better than last year. He had some problems at the beginning of last season. He's playing at a very high level at the moment".
Asensio: "He's doing very well. He's motivated and keen to play, like everyone else. He's played in the few minutes I've given him and scored goals. He's a player who can start a game with no problem or doubts".
Reunion with Isco: "I'll be happy to see him, to say hello and to see him play. He's been a great footballer for this club and a great person".
The possibility of a strike in LaLiga: "I don't know about this issue and at the moment I have other things to focus on. I can't answer you, but I'll give you my response when I've studied the situation a bit".
Is the World Cup the enemy: "If it is the enemy, it is everyone's enemy as every team with players going to the World Cup. We will all evaluate it after the World Cup because we don't know what's going to happen. It is a matter of individual fatigue and if someone comes back early they won't need more rest. Having the World Cup at this stage of the season means that the players go into it with a higher level of intensity than before because they're coming in ready to go and at their peak. They've gone into past World Cups exhausted and this time they'll go into it full of energy. The World Cup can have an impact on an individual level these days, but the coach makes decisions on a daily basis and aims to field the players required to win the games".
Sergio Ramos' form: "I'm not surprised that he's doing well. He's still one of the best centre-backs in the world. He's 36, but the game has changed. You can still play up to 40. Maldini won the Champions League when he was 40. The physical and medical standards are better now".
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