Carlo Ancelotti appeared in the press room at Real
Madrid City the day before the match against Espanyol. The Italian
coach, who said that "Jesé will start instead of Bale", spoke about the
second leg of their Copa del Rey quarter-final: "We have a small
advantage, but we can’t think about that. We have to play our game and
be as focused as in recent matches. There is everything to play for in
the tie and we have to play well and with our best team to reach the
semi-finals. I liked how Espanyol played against Valencia. They were
confident and look in good form. They are very dangerous up front with
Córdoba and Sergio García. We have to be careful".
When asked about the team that will start the match, he said: "I
have to wait and see who starts tomorrow because there are still some
players who have not recovered from the last match and we will think
through what team we will play with. I might make changes but not only
to avoid injuries. Some players will be rested and I will put out the
best team possible". About whether Real Madrid are more focused on Sunday's match at San Mamés, he was blunt: "We
are only thinking about tomorrow’s match and putting out a team that
can play with intensity and that is fit. We'll have time to think about
Sunday's match".The Italian coach also spoke about his team’s excellent start to the year and their physical condition: "It has been a very good month of January. We have made up points in the league and are much more confident in how the team are playing. It has been a very good month and we have to finish it well with a good match tomorrow. We are doing well physically because this season we have not had any muscle injuries on the training ground, only when players have been with their national teams. The players are very fit, but we have to be careful because there are a lot of matches and they can get tired. Right now the team are doing well. I think that we didn’t play with much intensity on Saturday because we are not used to playing at 16:00".
About whether he would take only winning the Copa del Rey this season, Ancelotti said: "The Copa del Rey is not enough for us. We are doing very well in all competitions and we have to do what we can to win everything". And about what mark he would give himself for the job that he is doing, he said: "I do not like talking about myself. It was a joke when I said that the coach was doing a good job. I'm doing a lot press conferences and that's good for you all. If you want, we can do one every day".
In reference to Benzema’s good form, he said: "He is confident and is relaxed because he has played a lot of matches and knows that he is an important player for this team". About Varane and his return to training, he said: "He is training with the team. He has done intensive sessions in the last few days and has taken it a little easier today. He will train tomorrow and I think he will be in the squad for Sunday".
Bale was one of the other players that Ancelotti was asked about: "He tried to train today but had a bit of trouble with his left leg and we preferred to let him recover. He will not play tomorrow and will train to be ready for Sunday. He didn’t have problems with his genitals after the kick from Murillo. It is his left leg where he can feel it and he has not recovered from that. To avoid the risk of him not being able to play on Sunday, I will rest him tomorrow". About the possibility of changing the Welshman’s position to play him a wing-back, he said: "I have not even thought about it. He feels good at right wing and will continue to play there".
When asked if he expected La Liga to be so hotly contested between the three teams at the top, he said: "I knew that it is a league in which every team tries to play football and control the play. That is very good for the spectacle. There are three teams fighting to win the league and it is still very interesting". Finally, about Messi’s return from injury, he said: "I don’t know if he's changed position. He has played well in recent matches and has shown that he is fit and has recovered well from his injury. He has not scored many goals, but he is still, as he always has been, very important for Barcelona".
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