Ancelotti talks Bellingham, Mbappe, Vinicius, Valverde, Alaba ahead of Leganes vs Real Madrid | OneFootball

Real Madrid will be aiming to secure a place in the semifinals of the Copa del Rey when they lock horns with Leganes away from home on Wednesday night.

The Merengues head into the midweek cup tie on the back of their controversial 1-0 loss to RCD Espanyol in La Liga and will be eager to get back to winning ways right away.

Leading up to the game, Carlo Ancelotti has been dealt with a couple of fresh fitness blows as David Alaba is injured again while Jude Bellingham is also set to miss the cup tie due to a knock, as confirmed by the manager in his presser.

Kicking things off, the Real Madrid boss discussed how his team will approach the game, saying:

“We have to prepare well and get to the next step of this competition. In the past, the Copa has given us a lot of joy.”

On the preparations for the match, he noted: “The absence of Rudiger weighs heavily. Not only at set pieces. Leganes is a team that defends very well. They had great results against Barça and Atlético. This morning we trained the set-piece in this respect.”

The chat then quickly moved to the refereeing controversy during the Espanyol clash, as a result of which Real Madrid filed a formal complaint with the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF).

“Something inexplicable has happened, talking about the integrity of the footballers, and what Madrid is asking for is an explanation. And I think it’s right. Because nothing has been done to protect the integrity of the player,” said Ancelotti on the matter.

Talking about the mention of ‘double standards’ in Real Madrid’s complaint letter, he added:

“I refer to what I said. We are talking about the integrity of a footballer and we are only asking for an explanation about this. Nothing more.”

Following the injury to Antonio Rudiger over the weekend, Real Madrid have now lost another centre-back in Alaba, with the club not reinforcing the position in the winter window either.

Discussing the predicament, Ancelotti remarked: “Unfortunately we have lost two important players. Alaba was ready to play. He was going to play tomorrow, because he had a good feeling. What happened we hadn’t contemplated, like Rudiger.

“These are emergency moments. We have to hold on with what we have. We have Jacobo Ramon, who has been injured for a long time and can contribute.”

Out injured again. (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images)

On being asked if Federico Valverde could be an option at centre-back for the upcoming matches, Ancelotti ruled it out, saying:

“No, maybe as a full-back, but not as a centre-back. We can play Jacobo, Asencio and Tchouameni.”

Explaining his persistence with Aurelien Tchouameni in the centre-back position, Ancelotti noted: “Defensively he’s a very good header, he positions himself well and he has tactical knowledge.

“He is not so used to this position, but his knowledge as a pivot helps him. Sometimes he has been good, sometimes he has had problems. But I only remember one clear and serious mistake where we conceded a goal.”

On being asked if they could have done anything different to avoid this injury situation, Ancelotti remarked:

“What I have to think about is how to deal with the emergency we have. We had it last year. We have to manage it well. We managed it well last year. The young players will be able to show their quality. We are going to trust Jacobo.”

Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Jr. did not train with the rest of the team today, casting doubts about their availability for the cup tie. Explaining their absence, the manager said:

“Bellingham had a bruise from a knock and will not be available. Vinicius has been given an extra day to recover, but will be available for tomorrow.”

The Real Madrid boss also spoke about Cristiano Ronaldo, who recently discussed his time at the club in an extensive interview, praising the Portuguese legend as one of the best ever.

“He has marked an era and for me yes, he has been the best. He has helped me a lot to stay calm on the Madrid bench,” said Ancelotti.

On being asked about Manchester City and the plethora of signings they have made in the winter, ahead of the Real Madrid clash in the UCL, the Italian stated:

“I have to think about the game against City with these players they have signed. I don’t want to comment on that. They are always competitive. But we have other things to think about at the moment.”

Ancelotti also gave an update on Kylian Mbappe’s fitness, after he was on the receiving end of the horrific challenge from Carlos Romero in the Espanyol game.

“Mbappe trained today. He has a bruise on his calf. He trained normally today, but he won’t be available for the game tomorrow,” the manager noted.

Source: AS