Real Madrid News
Ancelotti confirms Real Madrid superstar picked up a knock vs Almeria: “Hit to his knee”
Speaking after Real Madrid’s 4-2 win over UD Almeria at the Santiago Bernabeu, manager Carlo Ancelotti confirmed that superstar winger Vinicius Jr picked up a knock during the game.
Vinicius enjoyed another fine game as he got an assist and won a penalty as Los Blancos cruised to an impressive win riding on Karim Benzema’s hat-trick and a Rodrygo strike.
However, there were a couple of concerns to emerge for the Merengues from the contest as, for starters, both Vinicius and Eduardo Camavinga will be suspended for the next La Liga game against Real Sociedad due to accumulation of cards.
On top of that, Ancelotti has now confirmed that Vinicius picked up a knock during the game, which led to him being asked to be taken off late in the game.
“Vinicius suffered a hit to his knee, but it is nothing serious. He will be ready for the Copa Del Rey final,” Ancelotti said (h/t MARCA).
It is good news for Real Madrid that the knock is not serious as they are already without Luka Modric for the Copa del Rey final against CA Osasuna on May 6.
But the Italian expects the 22-year-old to be available, especially considering that he will have enough time to recover as he will not be playing against Sociedad.
Talking about Vinicius’ yellow card for protesting a foul on him, the manager said: “The reality is that Vinicius protests, he is always fouled and protests. The reality is that he has 10 yellow cards and his opponents have had far fewer.”
On his anger after his team conceded, Ancelotti said: “It was relaxation, when it looked like the game was over we relaxed with the 3-0 and the 4-1, this is a wake-up call for us, you can’t lower the level because if you lower it you concede goals”.
The manager also spoke about the performance of midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni, saying: “I think Tchouaméni is an important player because he gives us cover in front of our centre-backs.
“He’s good in the penalty area when the opponents come in and with the ball he has to improve, he’s very young and he’s learning, I’ve told him not to move so much because he has a lot of energy and sometimes he gets out of position, especially with the ball.”
Speaking to the media, Brazil Football Confederations (CBF) president Ednaldo Rodrigues has claimed that the Selecao have not given up on their pursuit of Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti, despite the Italian stating that he will not leave the club.
Brazil have been without a manager since the World Cup in Qatar last year, following which Tite stepped down. The CBF have made Ancelotti their top target and have been pursuing his signing for months but to no avail.
The 63-year-old Italian tactician has, on more than one occasion, made it clear that he will be at Real Madrid next season, with his contract expiring in 2024.
However, CBF president Rodrigues is adamant that Ancelotti’s statements are due to him being cautious as he is under contract at Real Madrid and that the Selecao are not prepared to give up on their quest to appoint him as of yet.
“We made a plan, that ‘Plan A’ is the one you know, Ancelotti, and as they say in the ‘ring’ (boxing), I haven’t thrown in the towel yet,” Rodrigues said (h/t Mundo Deportivo).
“Because of contracts, people are cautious,” he added.
Ancelotti, for his part, has repeatedly stated that he does not intend to leave Real Madrid unless he is forced out of the club.
Despite missing out on the La Liga and the UEFA Champions League titles last season, the club continue to back the veteran Italian and are planning for next season with him in charge.
So, despite Rodrigues’ confidence and perseverance, it is extremely unlikely that Ancelotti will be leaving Real Madrid for Brazil this summer.
