La Liga returns this weekend after a two-week break and champions Real Madrid will be in action on Saturday as they take on Real Sociedad away in San Sebastian.
Real Madrid have not made the best of starts to the league campaign, having already dropped four points from four matches, whereas Barcelona have won all of their games.
As such, Carlo Ancelotti & co. are under pressure to avoid any more slip-ups. But injuries are not helping matters and with the UEFA Champions League also getting underway next week, the manager has some major decisions to make.
On the eve of the game, Ancelotti appeared in front of the media for his customary pre-match press conference, and discussed several matters ranging from Vinicius Jr.’s recent form to the injuries in the team.
Ancelotti kicked things off by assessing the challenge that Real Sociedad will pose, saying: "Tomorrow starts a very demanding schedule. We want to start well. We’ve got some players back."
"We always start with the illusion and the desire to compete. La Real are complicated and difficult, but we have a good feeling."
Vinicius Jr. has come under criticism for his lackadaisical displays with the Br azil national team during the international break while his form for Real Madrid has also been subpar this season.
But Ancelotti backed his star man, saying: “He’s not at his best, but he’s very decisive for us. We are in no hurry. The team has scored and he’s being important. He is my last concern.
"He always works well and gives everything he has. I am very happy with what he is doing. I can’t think about having everyone always at 100%."
About the suggestions that the Saudi Arabia offer has made Vinicius lose his focus, Ancelotti had the following to say:
"I don’t know if he had an offer or not. I speak to everyone on a daily basis and we have never spoken about this issue. Vinicius loves playing football so much that anything from abroad is not going to bother him."
When asked why the Ballon d’Or favourite does not perform at the same level for Br azil as he does for Real Madrid, Ancelotti remarked:
"The explanation I find is that Br azil’s problem, which I don’t want to go into, is a general problem. They are having difficulties in finding their best version. It’s not Vinicius’ problem, it’s a general problem."
"We are delighted with him. He’s not at his best, but we can’t forget that thanks to Vinicius we’ve won two Champions League titles. We have to have a lot of affection for him at Madrid."
Along with Vinicius, Kylian Mbappe also came in for criticism this week for failing to star for the French national team. But Ancelotti is not worried about his star duo letting all the talk affect them, as he said:
"They don’t seem to me to be affected, they train well. Mbappé is getting better and better. Many people forget that they started on 9 August. They have not been able to do pre-season and they have already improved their condition. They are well and happy."
During the international break, Real Madrid forward Rodrygo confirmed his disappointment at not being nominated for the 2024 Ballon d’Or, and Ancelotti agreed with the forward, stating that he deserved to be on the list.
"Ballon d’Or nomination hasn’t been valued. He deserved to be and I understand that he is upset. Someone has forgotten what he has done in the Champions League, scoring against City and being important."
Rodrygo also had some gripe about him always being used as a ‘wildcard’ to fill in any position where someone is missing. To that, Ancelotti said:
"It is a virtue that he is a wildcard, that he can play in many positions and always well."
There has also been some concern that the 23-year-old might feel undervalued surrounded by the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius, but Ancelotti dismissed that, saying:
"For him it is a motivation to be compared to Vinicius or Mbappe. For me, he has the same importance as them. He doesn’t tell me he has a problem."
If there is any sense of jealousy among his star forwards, Ancelotti said: "If it happens I will detect it. In the dressing room, there is a very good and healthy atmosphere."
"There are players who are going to have more responsibility, like Vinicius, Rodrygo, the youngsters, who are not so young anymore."
Ancelotti then confirmed the absence of key men Jude Bellingham and Aurelien Tchouameni from tomorrow’s contest against Sociedad, saying:
"Tomorrow they won’t play, it’s too early. We’ll see if they’ll be available on Tuesday in the Champions League."
With no Bellingham, Tchouameni, Eduardo Camavinga, and Dani Ceballos, Ancelotti and Real Madrid are left with only two natural central midfielders in Luka Modric and Fede Valverde.
On being asked who would partner them in the third slot in the middle, the manager said: "Good question, that’s the doubt I have, Brahim or Güler. I can also change the system. I can play with three midfielders or change."
Stating that Guler will see more prominence in the team moving forward, Ancelotti said: “He’s going to be more important. It’s more complicated for him to be an undisputed starter. I don’t see any undisputed starter in this squad.”
"Arda Guler can’t play as a double pivot, but he can play as an inside player," he added.
When asked about the demands he makes of any interior midfielder in his setup, the Italian tactician replied:
"Defending and attacking, it’s not that complicated. They have to be well-positioned and move between the lines. In defence, they have to close inside. The work of the interior with a 4-3-3 is much more intense."
Ancelotti then showered praises on Valverde, who has been one of the standout performers so far this season for Real Madrid.
"I don’t know if he has shyness. But he is a player who takes more responsibility in the dressing room. We have lost some like Kroos or Nacho. There are others who are progressing like Valverde," he said.
"I don’t think he’s shy, I see a very important player for us. I’m delighted, Valverde has everything a top level midfielder needs. Strength, quality, intelligence… He is a spectacular player."
With Real Madrid set to play seven games over the next 23 days, Ancelotti was asked about his plans to rotate his players and manage their workload. In response, he said:
"I’m not too worried about playing seven games, we are used to it, the evaluation of fatigue is very important. The Br azilians are under observation because they haven’t had much time to work and rest."
"We have to try to avoid injuries. Last year we had a lot of them and we coped with it well. We have to live with this. With this schedule, it’s normal to have injuries," he added, expressing frustration with the fixture pile-up.