Speaking before Real Madrida s fixture against Rayo Vallecano, Carlo Ancelotti revealed that club captain Iker Casillas was aware of fans whistling at him and is using that to motivate himself in the coming fixtures. As the race for the La Liga heatens up with Barcelona, the Italian also spoke about the squad and informed that Gareth Bale suffered a minor injury which needs to be monitored in the days to come.
Ever since Iker Casillas was dropped from the squad by Jose Mourinho, he has endured a turbulent relationship with the Santiago Bernabeu faithful. Saint Iker survived a disastrous World Cup and the fans are not likely to easily forget his blunder in the Champions League finals which cost Real Madrid its long awaited a La Decimaa . Ancelotti revealed that the keeper is aware of the fansa dissatisfaction with his performances and is using that to motivate himself to perform better.
a I know that some fans are not supporting Casillas, but he’s aware of this situation and he will use this as a motivation to keep working and improving. He’s playing tomorrow and Keylor will do it on Saturday.a
With James Rodriguez returning from his injury, Carlo Ancelotti has a selection dilemma in his hands as he looks to accommodate the likes of Isco, Modric, Toni Kroos and Rodriguez in the starting line-up. However Ancelotti has revealed that Gareth Bale picked up a minor injury during a training session, hinting that theWelshman might make way for Iscoa s return in the line-up.
“I still haven’t made my decision, Bale had a small problem on his left foot during the training session which we have to keep an eye on, and after that I will decide the starting XI. It’s true that James is doing very well on his first season here, but Isco has played very well too, it will not be easy to pick one of them but I am lucky to have these two players ready. They can also play in different positions. It’s a blessing in disguise to have this ‘problem’.”
The manager refused to speculate on the differences between Isco and Rodriguez, claiming that both players were equally important for the team.
“There is not a player more or less important between the two of them. It’s true that James is doing remarkably well in his first year, but Isco has also played great games, helping the team out fantastically. Everyone is happy with him, the fans too. It’s difficult to say which player is better. I can only say that I have two players of very high quality that can play in various positions on the pitch.a
“Isco is a great player; he has shown as much all year. I have an untouchable team and I am convinced that I have under me the best squad in the world. For this reason I am so confident that the end of the season is going to turn out well.a
The Italian also revealed that the hectic schedule ahead of Real Madrid will force him to rotate the squad which means that at some point, he will be forced to rest either Karim Benzema, Cristiano Ronaldo or Gareth Bale from the starting eleven.
“We have a game every three days right through until the start of May, so rotating the squad will be essential. Sometimes it could be that one of the front three is rested.”
The manager also denied wanting to send the likes of Illarramendi and Jese on loan next season, clarifying the two players were an important member of the squad.
a The players we have on our roster are ready enough to play here, they don’t need to be on loan or things of that nature. We can do that with Castilla players, but not with the guys we have on our roster, as they don’t need to prove themselves.a
Regarding the challenge posed by Rayo Vallecano, Carlo Ancelotti praised his opposition and predicted a tough match for the Los Blancos.
a It will be a difficult match, Rayo know how to play and the most important thing for us is to realize the way they’re gonna play. It will be a tough match, for sure. They will try to control the game with the ball, that’s why.a