Real Sociedad will prove to be a tough match for Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu tomorrow afternoon, according to boss Carlo Ancelotti.
Speaking at his press conference ahead of the match, the Italian gave an update on the injury situation in the team, and called on his players to be at their best to beat La Real. The San Sebastian-based outfit had a superb season last year, finishing fourth and qualifying for the Champions League. And although they’ve had a slower start to the campaign than they would have liked, they still have players that can hurt Los Blancos.
Ancelotti said: “Real Sociedad is a good team with a good attitude. They’re very dynamic and have fast players. It won’t be an easy match. They already proved against Manchester United that they can play major games and it’s a really good test for us because we need to play well and with intensity.”
In the latest injury update, the manager said Marcelo had a slight knee problem in training this morning, and Sami Khedira was nursing a sore leg. Cristiano Ronaldo should be fit to play despite having an injured toe, while Xabi Alonso will start the match having worked his way back to full fitness after his injury.
Ancelotti also had words of encouragement for midfielder Isco, who is reported to be unhappy at his lack of playing time. Some reports have linked the the 30 million euro summer signing with a switch away from the club.
“He played against Sevilla last week and his problem is the competition. Sometimes he plays and other times he’s on the bench. He’s rested and recovered from the physical issues he had at the start,” Ancelotti stated.
