Carlo Ancelotti has confirmed Gareth Bale is fit to feature this weekend for Real Madrid, as he reflects on Iker Casillas’ words yesterday.
The club captain commented to reporters on Thursday afternoon that he may have to consider his future at Madrid should he not find regular playing time in the coming months.
“I have not spoken to him about his departure,” remarked Ancelotti in response at today’s Press conference.
“He is a great goalkeeper and very professional. He helps the team even when he does not play. He is a real captain.
“I hope that he can stay for the future because he is very important to the atmosphere.
“We have to talk to him because it is right, but I see him happy and his behaviour is very professional.”
Also on the agenda was Raphael Varane’s return from international duty with discomfort in his knee that he has only just returned to playing on after surgery.
“We are not angry at France. He has inflamed the knee and did not play in their second game. We spoke to [Didier] Deschamps and have been careful with him.
“Varane’s injury was significant. He was out for four months. It is normal for the knee to swell.”
Meanwhile, Ancelotti revealed that Gareth Bale will be called up for this weekend’s match at home to Malaga, on from recent injury scares involving his thigh and back.
“He does not have a back problem. You cannot play 100 games in four years with a hernia. His problem is that he has not had preseason. Now he can play and is ready for it.
“I do not know if he will play the whole game against Malaga or not, but I will try to give him minutes. I have three disc protusions and never had a problem in my career.
“I read I was a fool to play him against Villarreal, but I was not the first to do so. He was previously with the national team. There were no problems at Villarreal. It was afterwards that he suffered an overload.”
Ancelotti is under early scrutiny for Madrid’s recent unsteady performances.
“We must do better. In one half we were very bad against Levante and in the other we were very good. We have to improve defensively and in the pace of our play.
“We will improve because we know that we cannot fail.
“Bernd Schuster is right to say that we have not been very strong, but I think that against Malaga we will be different.
“There are no easy games. The atmosphere has changed after the match against Levante. The players are focused, but we’ll see against a team as strong as Malaga.”
