Carlo Ancelotti spoke in the press room at Real Madrid City to give his thoughts on the LaLiga matchday three clash between UD Las Palmas and Real Madrid, which will be played at the Gran Canaria stadium (Thursday, 9:30pm CEST): “We've had two pieces of sad news. Juan Izquierdo, the Uruguayan player, has left us, as has Eriksson. I was very fond of him as he was my coach at Roma between 1984 and 1987. I had a very good relationship with him, he was a great coach and a great person. He was a role model for many of us, especially those who worked with him. He was an inspiration and I would like to send both families a big hug”.

“It's going to be a competitive game tomorrow. The league matches so far have been play with a very high intensity despite the heat and the fact that it's early in the season. It'll be the same tomorrow. I'm expecting a high-intensity and open game. Las Palmas likes to play and that's the way it will be”.

Different challenges every year
“Every year the challenge changes because the team and their structure changes a little bit every year. We needed time last year and we were able to win some games in the last few minutes. This year will also be a bit difficult for us to be at our best. It's quite normal and it happens every year”.

Team structure
“We have to be compact as a team and the work from our forwards and defenders is important to achieve that. If a forward presses and the defence doesn't come out, the team isn't compact. It's the same when the defence drops off and the forwards don't. It's not an individual issue, it's a team issue”.


Attacking aspect
“We've got Vinicius and Rodrygo, not just Mbappé. We have a lot of attacking options. We've scored six goals in three games and the team is still not at its best. You're not going to have a problem in front of goal. This happened when Cristiano was here and is happening now. It also happened last year when we didn't have many forwards”.

New Champions League format
“I've not got an opinion on it because we've never played a competition like this. We have to be patient to make an assessment of this new format. It could be good for the competition and for everyone. What we find difficult to understand is the increase in the number of matches because the schedule is more challenging”.

Tchouameni's characteristics
“Tchouameni is a key player as he has qualities that are very important for us. I'm obviously not asking him to be like Kroos, just as I didn't ask Kroos to be like Tchouameni. Everyone has their own characteristics and the team has to make the most of Tchouameni's characteristics”.

Substitutions
“It's something I've discussed with the players and it wasn't a criticism of anyone. I've stated my opinion without pointing the finger at anyone. It's an assessment I made and nothing else. The most critical ones are us as we try to find the best solution”.

Managing fatigue
“We've got a lot of tools to combat the issue of fatigue. We don't want to make many changes before the first break and, once we get into the Champions League, we'll be able to rotate the team a bit because the schedule is a bit more difficult”.
What are your thoughts on Dani Olmo's registration?
“This question is one for LaLiga. We respect every club, every player and every decision”.

Mbappé settling in
“He is coming along very well, he looks to be getting better and better, keen and motivated, he trains well and he's very humble. He's settling in very well”.

Militao
“He's back to his best. He's showing some consistency in the games and looking solid at the back. He makes a good partnership with Rüdiger and he's got a very accurate long pass which should really help us because our forwards are very quick. He'll have to adapt to playing vertically, but he's got time for that”.

Injuries to players
“We get injuries at this time of the season because of the demands of the schedule and there's no real time to prepare the players for this level of competition. There's not much time because you have to choose between holidays or work and, obviously, you prefer holidays after 10 or 11 months of work. The intensity is the same in August and it doesn't drop. Players aren't ready until November or December and they pick up injuries. Any player who gets injured becomes a problem for everyone and it's upsetting because teams want to play with their best players”.

Valverde's goalscoring target challenge
“He's developing and becoming more and more important in every game with the team. He's becoming a leader in the dressing room and that's to be expected. He's been working alongside great professionals and he has to step into the position that Kroos, Casemiro or Nacho had. It's very important to have a calm, serious and motivated atmosphere. Players who leave have to be replaced in the best way and Valverde is the best example”.

Mbappé and Vini Jr's goalscoring form
“Mbappé scored his last goal on 14 August, it's been two weeks, and it's not really anything to worry about. We're not worried, he's not worried either. He's satisfied, he's happy and he wants to score. Just like Vini, who hasn't scored in the last three games, and he's not worried”.

Alaba's evolution
“Jacobo certainly has all the quality required to play and he can replace both Rüdiger and MIlitão. Alaba is doing well with his recovery, he started running today and we have to be patient with him. It's going very well”.

What would you recommend to Reinier?
“I'd recommend that the player looks for a team where he can demonstrate his quality”.