Despite struggling to earn a regular spot among the starting eleven in his two seasons at Real Madrid, Isco has now convinced Carlo Ancelotti to have a guaranteed spot in the line-up.
“If he is fit, he will always start,” confessed Ancelotti asked about what Isco’s role will be when all the injured players return.
In a press conference prior to Villarreal’s game, Ancelotti explained “it is difficult to tell which is the best position for Isco, because he performs great anywhere he plays.”
The Italian manager admitted he’s not going to rotate players in the next few matches. “We haven’t played too many games, we’re fresh and playing well, so I’m not going to rotate. They criticise coaches who don’t rotate like me and they also criticise those who do. We don’t know what to do to avoid critics. You can only think it’s impossible.”
Asked about Luka Modric’s return from his three-month injury, Ancelotti explained “he’s not in the squad for Villarreal’s match but we hope he can make it for the second leg of the Champions League tie against Schalke.”
Speaking about Sunday’s game, Ancelotti praised Villarreal’s boss Marcelino Garcia Toral: “When a team plays that well it’s because they have a manager who works well. I love his methods and the way he talks. They are an intense team, like us, and the fact that they will rotate players isn’t necessarily good for us. We’ll have to fight.”
