Carlo Ancelotti says it will be ‘essential’ for Real Madrid to utilise their entire squad in light of the season's restart this weekend.
Los Blancos resume their campaign with a trip to Valencia in La Liga tomorrow before taking on city rivals Atletico Madrid in the Copa del Rey on Wednesday, and the Coach believes rotation will be necessary for his side to prosper over the next five months.
“Sergio [Ramos] is doing pretty well. He’ll train today with the team, then we’ll make a decision on him,” he told reporters at a Press conference.
“He didn’t [tell us about the tear]. Together we decided to evaluate his progress in training and make a decision.
“It's a different decision because we needed him to play in the Club World Cup final, but now isn’t the time to task risks. If there is any risk, Ramos won’t play.
“The priority is tomorrow's game. We’ll play with the best team possible, but we won’t risk anything.
“I think rotations are essential because they prevent injuries and motivate the team.
“Everyone will get their chance. We won’t dedicate more importance to one competition or another.
“James has more defensive characteristics than Isco. The mentality which the players have is very important for defensive work.
“Without sacrifice and struggle, it’s harder for us to show the quality we have.
“The defeat to Milan will not affect us because it was only a friendly in preparation for this match.
“We’ll put work in before the match. Against Milan, we forced through our physical work to be ready for Valencia. [The defeat] won’t hurt us at all.”
