Carlo Ancelotti has revealed that he will not line-up Cristiano Ronaldo in the first leg of the semi-finals of the Champions League if he’s told there is any risk for the Portuguese.
“He trained quite normally today, like any day. Tomorrow we will test him again and see how it goes. He will play if everyone us sure that it is safe. If there is any risk of a relapse, he won’t play,” the Italian said in a press conference prior to Bayern Munich’s game.
Ancelotti confessed Ronaldo is very motivated: “He’s raring to go. That’s normal, as the game is important for us all. He’s motivated, just as all the others are,” he told the reporters.
Real Madrid’s manager also confirmed Fabio Coentrao will start at left-back. “Marcelo started back in training a week ago, but he hasn’t played for a while,” he explained.
When asked about their rival, Ancelotti said he’s not surprised that Bayern are favourites: “They are a great team, very strong, that have won many matches and that won the Champions League last year. But Bayern are not my Black Beast because thinking that doesn’t fill me with confidence. My team makes me feel very confident, the players that I have and that is why I believe that tomorrow we will see a great Real Madrid.”
Asked whether not reaching the final would be a failure for him, Los Blancos boss stated “failure is a very tough word, although neither can I say that reaching the semis is a success. The main objective this season was to reach the Champions League final.”
