Real Madrid News
Ancelotti talks Benzema, Kroos, Courtois, Hazard, Vinicius ahead of Osasuna vs Real Madrid
Real Madrid will be locking horns with CA Osasuna away in Pamplona on Saturday as they look to cut down the gap to La Liga leaders FC Barcelona.
The Merengues head into the weekend clash on the back of an impressive 4-0 win over Elche earlier this week. And the current champions will hope to register another win this weekend so that they can keep up the pressure on Barça, who will be facing Cadiz on Sunday.
Real Madrid, however, will also have an eye on the crucial UEFA Champions League Round of 16 first-leg contest against Liverpool next week.
And, manager Carlo Ancelotti addressed the media today to discuss the team’s injury situation, his plans for Osasuna and Liverpool matches and whether he plans to rest Karim Benzema.
On the game against Osasuna: “It’s going to be a difficult match in which we have to have attitude. The team is in a good dynamic and we will fight tomorrow.”
On team news: “Karim won’t be here tomorrow. He has a bit of fatigue and hopefully he will be on Tuesday. Kroos won’t be here either because of flu but Courtois and Hazard are back.”
On the controversy surrounding Barcelona’s payment to former referee: “I’m focused on the games, nothing more. Do people doubt the competition? That wouldn’t be good. Sport must always be clean. And for that, we must all collaborate. I have nothing to comment on.”
On Alvaro Rodriguez: “He’s doing well, yes, he hasn’t been in the squad because he was in the Copa Sudamericana U-20 but tomorrow he’ll be in the squad. He has a lot of quality. He’s a profile we don’t have: he’s tall and has a good head.”
On the La Liga title race: “The objective is to keep putting pressure on Barcelona. To reduce the deficit. You know that the calendar is very demanding and we have to get to this moment with a good feeling and we seem to be doing well. But football is a game in which you can go from good to bad straight away and the other way around.”
On managing Benzema’s fitness: “After the World Cup he has done very well. He has scored in almost every game. And he is not injured: we simply prefer, because of his age, to give him rest.“
On the UCL clash against Liverpool next week: “The hours spent on Tuesday’s game are zero so far. I’m dedicating 24 hours to tomorrow’s game. It’s a very important game to close the gap on Barcelona. I’m not thinking about Tuesday’s line-up but about tomorrow’s and it could even be the same.”
On his favourite XI for tomorrow: “I’m not telling you the favourite eleven (laughs) but I have to evaluate all the games. Vinicius is coming back and he’s doing very well and can be very dangerous.”
On Luka Modric’s role: “I have spoken to him about this. He prefers to start the game and tomorrow he will start the game.”
On resting Benzema: “We don’t want to take risks with Benzema because he is tired and it can be risky. If tomorrow’s opponent was Liverpool, he wouldn’t play either.”
On a possible change of formations: “We have to adapt to playing 4-4-2 or 4-2-3-1 but that depends on the games and how we can do it. From a very clear 4-3-3 system, we can switch to 4-4-2 if Vinicius jumps into the midfield.”
On whether Rodrygo will start: “Yes, tomorrow Rodrygo will start.”
On how to cut down the 8-point gap to Barcelona: “We have to think that the next game is the last one and that is what we are doing.”
On who is the best coach of the year: “We are three coaches who have been successful. All three (Ancelotti, Guardiola, and Scaloni) have a chance and deserve it. And whoever doesn’t win will have to congratulate the winner.”
On whether Vinicius and Rodrygo are competitors for the left wing: “No. It would be crazy if I put Rodrygo and Vinicius in competition. What can happen is that sometimes we can play in a 4-4-2 with Vinicius and Rodrygo up top.”
Source: Real Madrid Twitter
Real Madrid News
Real Madrid star could lose ‘untouchable’ status under Mourinho amid midfield competition
Real Madrid kicked off their 2026-27 La Liga season with a late victory over Espanyol, with Jude Bellingham and Carlos Espi on the scoresheet.
All eyes were on Jose Mourinho and how he would set the team up against the Catalan club, to gain an early insight into what his preferred XI looks like.
One interesting selection choice was always going to be the midfield, and Bernardo Silva partnered Federico Valverde in that position last night.
While last night was a fairly straightforward choice with Aurelien Tchouameni recovering from an injury, this could be one of Mourinho’s biggest headaches going forward.
Now, according to Cadena SER, the Frenchman may no longer be guaranteed a place in Real Madrid’s midfield under Jose Mourinho, with the competition for roles intensifying following the arrival of Bernardo.
Tchouameni no longer an automatic starter?
Journalist Tomas Roncero believes Tchouameni could be one of the first players affected by Mourinho’s search for the right midfield formula after the 2-1 victory over Espanyol.
“I think Tchouameni is not going to be as untouchable as he was,” Roncero said.
He argued that the situation has changed because Madrid now possess considerably more competition in that area of the squad.
Roncero believes Bernardo could play a major role in Mourinho’s midfield, particularly when Madrid face opponents who defend deep at the Bernabeu.
He described the Portuguese veteran as Madrid’s most creative option for directing possession from deeper areas.
That has become especially important after Madrid missed out on Rodri, who ultimately joined Barcelona.
“With Rodri not arriving, the only player who can really play that positional football and organise the game is Bernardo Silva,” Roncero explained.
Having spent years at Manchester City under Pep Guardiola, it is the least Madrid can ask for from Silva.
Mourinho has a genuine midfield puzzle
Jose Mourinho has also suggested the possibility of Arda Guler developing into a No. 6 in the coming years, but that is unlikely to be a solution in the short term.
The situation, however, does not necessarily mean that Tchouameni will become a peripheral figure at the club.
His defensive qualities remain different from those offered by Bernardo, while Mourinho will require different midfield combinations depending on the opponent.
However, the options are plenty.
Valverde provides intensity and running power, Bernardo offers control and creativity, while Tchouameni and Camavinga add bite to the position.
Tchouameni must now convince Mourinho that his defensive security outweighs what he does not offer creatively.
Ultimately, having too much of something is a better headache than having too little. The onus is now on Mourinho to solve the midfield puzzle.
