‘Madrid don’t need rotating’

Carlo Ancelotti has insisted that he does not need to rotate his Real Madrid squad, amid concerns that the side are struggling with fatigue.

Los Blancos have endured a difficult start to 2015, with 22-match winning streak grinding to a halt after three successive defeats, culminating in their midweek elimination from the Copa del Rey at the hands of arch-rivals Atletico Madrid.

Ancelotti's reluctance to rotate his squad, coupled with their poor run of form, has prompted fitness concerns ahead of Madrid's trip to Getafe tomorrow, but the Italian maintained he would not change his approach.

“The bottom line is that we had little control over both legs [against Atleti]. We played well, but we made some mistakes that have prevented us from progressing,” he said at a Press conference.

“We’re sorry because it was one of the club’s objectives [to progress]. We must look ahead and think that we’re still in two competitions.

“Now we have a month to maintain our lead in the League and, if possible, earn points against our rivals.

“We’re not happy about missing out on a competition. I’ve spoken with the president, and he’s upset but we want to do well in the League and the Champions League.

“The team are doing well, but we must improve our players’ conditions. We’ll need three weeks to restore our fitness levels. Cristiano [Ronaldo], for example, is fine.

“The squad aren’t too small. Cristiano and [Toni] Kroos have played more than others because they’re very important, but I don’t think they need to rest. They’ll rest when it’s necessary.

“I don’t need to rotate the squad. Rotations aren’t everything, it’s important to change a player when they’re tired, but I don’t see any tired players. There’s no fatigue or lack of attitude.

“In the first half against Atleti, I didn’t see a tired team. I saw a team with the type of intensity which couldn’t be seen on other pitches.

“Getafe are a team who will play with intensity. They’ve changed Coach and are a team who work hard and well. Our objective is to stay top of the table. We’ve played through a schedule which we haven’t found comfortable.

“It’s only the first half of January that the midfield haven’t done well, but we haven’t shown signs of struggle. We’ve only had minor issues which we’ll solve in our next matches.”

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