Carlo Ancelotti has dismissed talk of a rest for Cristiano Ronaldo ahead of Real Madrid’s game with Elche.
The Italian plans to rotate his squad in the coming weeks, starting with Tuesday’s game, but has for the moment ruled out including Ronaldo as part of that.
“Cristiano has no need to rest right now. He’s in top form and also in great physical shape and mental condition. We need him at the top of his game right now,” Ancelotti told a Press conference.
The former Manchester United star has sometimes played wide on the right in recent matches, although Ancelotti insists he has the freedom to operate where he feels most comfortable.
“It’s only a temporary situation as Cristiano has to have the freedom to do what comes naturally to him on the pitch.
“If we need him to play on the right then that’s good because the change in position means our attacking play becomes more unpredictable.”
The 55-year-old also commented on the tactical changes he implemented in the stunning 8-2 away win at Deportivo la Coruna over the weekend, where Asier Illarramendi was introduced to offer more speed on the counter-attack.
“We have other options but our philosophy is to mix the game up and control it even more. After what happened [in the 4-2 defeat] at Anoeta I decided our defence needed more protection.
“We have a great squad and it isn’t easy because everyone wants to play. However, the lads are very professional, respect the referee’s decisions and are always ready to play 20 minutes or however long we need,” he explained.
