Real Madrid handed double fitness boost for headline clash with Atletico Madrid | OneFootball

Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has confirmed that Lucas Vazquez will be back from injury in time for the Madrid derby, after both trained normally on Friday morning. It opens up Ancelotti’s options a little more, as he deals with an injury crisis at the back, robbing him of David Alaba, Dani Carvajal, Eder Militao and Antonio Rudiger.

Most of Ancelotti’s press conference was dominated by talk about Real Madrid pressuring referees, and whether the Italian could get the defensive effort required to beat Atletico Madrid with all four forwards in the team. He said he would focus his selection on quality and commitment.

“There were doubts with the lineup, Lucas and Camavinga, but they were resolved today. They are available. I will put an eleven out that can give us quality and commitment, they are the keys to success. Combine those two things. This year we may have had more quality than commitment. We are working on ensuring the two are matched,” Ancelotti explained.

He would go on to explain that the defensive commitment he was referring to was a task for the whole team, and that he was not considering dropping one of his star quartet of forwards.

Image via El Mundo / Getty

One of the most famous phrases of his second spell at Real Madrid is that he likes pessimistic defenders. Ancelotti was asked whether he was seeing that in his backline this season.

“Raul Asencio is doing very well in that regard… Jacobo. They are working on it.”

It was perhaps telling that he did not include the likes of Ferland Mendy, Antonio Rudiger, Fran Garcia or Vazquez in that response, who have been available for the majority of the season. In recent weeks Ancelotti has opted to use Fede Valverde ahead of Vazquez, especially for big games, which is another uncertainty ahead of the clash at the Bernabeu.