Carlo Ancelotti was in a pre-match press conference against Real Sociedad this Saturday, the Real Madrid coach discussed several current topics: the offer from Saudi Arabia for Vinicius Jr, the criticism of Mbappé, the returns of injured players and much more.
Tchouaméni and Bellingham: "They won't play. It's too early. We'll see in the next few days if they'll be available against Stuttgart."
Vinicius' performance: "He's not at his best, but he's still very important for us. He hasn't scored as usual, but we're in no hurry. The last concern for me is Vinicius's condition, because he always works well and gives everything he can. It's just a matter of time and I'm very happy with him. When a player isn't at 100%, the important thing is that he gives everything he can. And Vinicius does that."
Criticism of Vinicius and Mbappé: "You have to ask them, but I don't think they're affected. They've improved their condition and I think they're fine and happy."
Rodrygo: "I think he was not valued in the Ballon d'Or selection. He deserves to be among the 30 without a doubt. Someone has forgotten what he did last year. It is a virtue for him to be able to play in many positions, for him and for us. For him it is a motivation to compare himself with Mbappé, Vinicius... For me it is as important as the rest. I don't see any problem, and he hasn't talked to me about this either, he doesn't see any problem either."
Güler or Brahim: "Good question. It is the doubt I have. It could be that the system is changed too or these players who are not so used to playing in a three-man midfield system need to be adjusted."
Rodrygo's jealousy: "I would detect it, but in the locker room we still have a very good and very healthy atmosphere, with players who are progressing and who are having more responsibility like Vinicius, Rodrygo, the youngsters, who are not so young anymore."
Güler: "He can't play as a double pivot because he doesn't have those characteristics, but rather as a midfielder. He's responding well and he's going to have more of a role. It's more complicated for him to be an undisputed starter, because I don't see any in this squad."
Rest plan: "Rüdiger has had five days of rest. The rest were recovering from their injuries. In these games, the rotations are going to be very important."
Valverde: "His level is very high. He may be shy, but he's taking on more responsibility in the locker room and in this sense he's progressing a lot. I don't see a shy player, but rather a very important player who is progressing every day. I'm delighted because he has everything a high-level midfielder needs. He's a spectacular player."
What a midfielder has to do: "Defend and attack. With the ball, get between the lines well, receive well and pass to the forwards. In defence they have to close down a bit more on the inside and their work is much more intense than that of a winger in a 4-3-3 system."
Saudi Arabia's interest in Vinicius: "I don't know if an offer came or not. I speak to everyone and we haven't talked about this subject. Vinicius likes playing football so much that anything that happens abroad is not going to change his idea of what he has to do."
Concern about injuries during such a demanding calendar: "It's not a concern because we're used to playing 7 games. The players who have come back from the break are under observation because they haven't had time to rest or train. We have to try to avoid injuries, last year we had a lot, but we handled it very well. With this calendar it's normal to have injuries
Vinicius' performance in Brazil: "The explanation I find is that the problem is Brazil's and I don't want to get involved. It's a more general problem because they're not getting their best version in the group. Here we're delighted with him because although right now he's not at his best, nobody can forget that with Vini we've been able to win two Champions Leagues."