Real Madrid News
Real Madrid midfielder could be a doubt for Liverpool encounter – report
Real Madrid play one of their biggest matches of the season next week as they take on Liverpool in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 at Anfield.
Ahead of the game, though, manager Carlo Ancelotti is sweating over the fitness of some of his key players.
As already confirmed by the Italian, Karim Benzema is suffering from fatigue and has hence been rested for tomorrow’s game against CA Osasuna. The 35-year-old striker will not be travelling to Pamplona for the La Liga encounter.
Another pivotal player who will not be involved on Saturday night is Toni Kroos.
The German midfielder missed Real Madrid’s last game against Elche due to gastroenteritis and has not recovered sufficiently to be a part of the squad versus Osasuna.
Now, The Athletic is reporting that Kroos could also be a doubt for the game against Liverpool next week.
One of the most experienced players on the roster, Kroos’ potential absence at Anfield could be a big blow for Real Madrid.
It is true that Ancelotti has slowly begun to rotate the German and his midfielder partner Luka Modric in recent weeks.
But there is no denying that the veteran duo remains critical to this Real Madrid team, especially in high-profile and high-pressure encounters like the one against Liverpool, that too at Anfield.
So, the Merengues will be hoping that the 33-year-old superstar recovers swiftly and in time for the blockbuster encounter versus Jurgen Klopp’s side next Tuesday.
In total, Kroos has played 30 matches across all competitions this season, in which he has produced a return of two goals and four assists. The midfielder is out of contract at the end of the season and is yet to make a decision on whether he will renew or retire.
Real Madrid News
Mourinho talks Carlos Espi, Diomande, Guler, Tchouameni, Atletico Madrid after Elche 2-3 Real Madrid
Real Madrid found another way to win, but Jose Mourinho was hardly celebrating the manner of it.
Carlos Espi’s injury-time strike completed a 3-2 comeback against Elche, rescuing Madrid after they had surrendered control of a game that appeared to be in their hands.
For Mourinho, the result was welcome, but the performance raised a familiar concern.
“When everything seems easy and you let things slide, it’s dangerous. Then the team reacts and wins, but it’s not pleasant.
“The other good thing is that nobody gets bored with these matches. They’re fun,” he began saying.
Mourinho knows what is going wrong
The Portuguese coach was particularly frustrated by another drop in intensity after the interval.
Real Madrid had opportunities to put the game beyond Elche before allowing their advantage to disappear. Mourinho believes that pattern is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.
“It seems obvious to me. It’s easy to understand. These are games that are all but over, where we have chances to seal the deal but don’t. After failing to do so, we go from having it easy to losing control.
“If we play poorly from the first minute to the 90th, the concern is huge.
“If we have periods where we’re at our best and others where we’re not proactive, just waiting, lacking intensity… Of course it’s a concern. But we won.”
The win keeps Madrid moving, but Mourinho’s concern is less about the points than the way his team is repeatedly making matches unnecessarily complicated.
Carlos Espi again provided the decisive moment from the bench, although Mourinho knows breaking into the starting XI will be difficult with Mbappé ahead of him.
“He’s a guy who works hard and is very motivated,” Mourinho said.
He then added, “He’s up against a player who’s in a league of his own (Mbappe), and we’re well aware of that.”
Madrid derby comes at a delicate moment
Next up is Atletico Madrid, and Mourinho’s attention is already turning towards the derby.
Rather than focusing on the opposition, he remains concerned about his own side’s ability to manage matches.
“The only explanation I can find is that we can’t keep going like this. We misjudged the opportunities we had, and once they score a goal, everything changes,” explained the Real Madrid coach.
Meanwhile, there were positives to take from individual performances, as Mourinho praised Yan Diomande’s development after another energetic outing.
“He’s improving. Physically, you can tell he has more minutes under his belt. He has a great work ethic and intelligence—he’s done a great job.”
Mourinho refuses to call Guler indispensable
Arda Guler’s importance was also questioned after another fantastic performance, but Mourinho rejected the idea that any player is beyond replacement.
“No, no one is indispensable. We were losing control when I made the substitutions; Vini did a great job on defence, but he was very tired.
“And Arda, who was playing in the number 10 position, was also losing intensity.
“I brought in a fresh Jude and Brahim when we were down 0-2, but I could sense we were losing control. That’s how it goes for us. And then, we brought in the heavy artillery and turned it around.”
Mourinho was also pleased with Aurelien Tchouameni and Federico Valverde during Madrid’s strongest spells.
“When the team was playing well, he and Valverde were playing well. They broke through the pressure easily, with skill.
“But the game had two phases—or rather three: one until it was 0–2, another until it was 2–2, and another until the end. They did a good job,” he concluded.
Source: AS
