Ancelotti talks Bellingham, Rodrygo, Mbappe, Endrick, Vinicius ahead of Real Madrid vs Valladolid | OneFootball

After a dodgy start to the defence of their La Liga crown last weekend, Real Madrid will be aiming to return to winning ways when they take on Real Valladolid at the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday.

The reigning champions of Spain were held to a 1-1 draw by RCD Mallorca on the opening day, sparking concerns over team combination and tactics.

Carlo Ancelotti & co. must now work towards allaying those fears in their first home game of the season against the newly-promoted La Liga club.

Ancelotti addresses media

Appearing in front of the media for his customary pre-match press conference a day earlier than usual, Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti touched on the importance of playing in front of the home fans at the Bernabeu, saying:

“It’s important, we’re looking forward to it. It’s been a while since we’ve played there. We want to show a good image and win.”

On whether he plans to repeat the lineup and tactics from the game against Mallorca, Ancelotti said:

“We prepared well for the match. We have worked on what we lacked against Mallorca. We understood well what happened and we have tried to fix it. Against Valladolid, it will be a good test.”

Discussing what went wrong for them against Mallorca last week, he added: “It was quite clear in the evaluation. We lacked balance and we have to work with this. It’s not that complicated. If the problem is clear, so is the solution.”

One of the major issues for Real Madrid last week was all of the forwards leaning towards the left flank, but Ancelotti does not see that as a problem as he said:

“This is a characteristic not only of this team, but of recent years. With Vinicius, we play a bit more on the wing, because of the quality he has. Also with Benzema, Bellingham…

“It’s worked out very well, but now I’m not going to say I’m going to play on the other side when we’ve won two Champions League titles doing it that way.”

Updates on the team

The manager also provided an update on the condition of midfield superstar Jude Bellingham and his availability for the clash, as he said: “He’s had a knock, he’s being assessed.”

One of the biggest talking points coming into the game has been Rodrygo and a WhatsApp message he posted lashing out at him being overlooked in favour of the ‘BMV’ trio.

On being asked about it, Ancelotti replied: “I spoke to him. I asked him if anything had happened, he told me it was a fake, that he hadn’t said anything. He is happy and working well. There is no problem with him.”

Rodrygo in the spotlight. (Photo by OSCAR DEL POZO/AFP via Getty Images)

The manager then stressed the importance of the 23-year-old forward in his plans, saying:

“We all know what his qualities are. In these two games, he has done very well. When we have an attacking team the forwards have to work a little bit more and he is doing very well.”

Addressing the speculations over the forward’s future, he added: “For me, there is no Rodrygo issue. He says he is very happy and content. He’s delighted. It’s a subject that we don’t comment on because there’s nothing to comment on.”

Sunday’s game will be the home debut of blockbuster new signing Kylian Mbappe and Ancelotti expects the fans to enjoy the Frenchman’s first game at the Bernabeu as a Real Madrid player.

“It’s going to be a very nice day for him. Playing for the first time at the Bernabeu in a Real Madrid shirt…. The fans have a lot of hope for him. He’s going to play and the fans are going to enjoy it,” he said.

On whether Mbappe’s fellow new signing Endrick will also make his debut, Ancelotti replied: “He has adapted very well, I’ve said it before that he has impressive quality for his age. He will have minutes considering the competition in this team.”

Explaining the decision to train at the Santiago Bernabeu tomorrow instead of Valdebebas, Ancelotti remarked:

“I’m not looking for anything special. Just to test the pitch, because it has changed compared to last year. I want the players to try it out and see how they feel. That’s all.”

Transfers

Real Madrid have opted against signing a new centre-back despite being a bit short on numbers in the position. When asked if this was a risk for the team, Ancelotti said:

“It’s not risky. We have resources to use, the youngsters are very good and Tchouaméni can be moved back. We are waiting for Alaba.”

Earlier today, Real Madrid confirmed the loan departure of youngster Mario Martin, who has joined Valladolid for the remainder of the season. Explaining the rationale behind his exit, the manager said:

“Camavinga will return at the end of September and we can’t block the growth of a player for one month. We thought that playing for a year could be very important for his progression. He agreed and he will come back stronger and smarter.”

Source: Mundo Deportivo