Carlo Ancelotti remained tight-lipped on Real Madrid's reported interest in Christoph Kramer. "I like him, as I do many midfielders."
Los Blancos' midfield options have been depleted following injuries to Luka Modric and James Rodriguez, while Sami Khedira's fitness remains a contentious issue, leading to speculation that the club could move for the German World Cup winner in January.
However, the Madrid Coach opted to focus the individual performances of his players after Tuesday's 4-0 victory over Ludogorets, reserving particular praise for Asier Illarramendi.
"I can't talk about players who aren't at Madrid. He's a player I like, as I do many midfielders," Ancelotti explained to Canal+.
"Kroos rested last week, Bale also didn't need rest, although he took a minor blow to the nose.
"Nacho had a fantastic match, Chicharito didn't score but worked hard for the team.
"Medran scored … It's a happy moment for him.
"Illarramendi is prepared to take the reins. He played a great level, like in the previous two matches.
"He can execute all sorts of passes and is becoming increasingly confident. He will surely play in the Club World Cup.
"Khedira won't recover for Friday, maybe next week, but Jese will get more minutes.
"He's following a strict programme and needs to improve his aerobics and train with continuity.
"He can be an option for us in the future.
"The 4-2-4 can be a option for us in the future. We need to test it more, because we haven't had too much balance with it, but we can still use it."
