Carlo Ancelotti spoke to the media in the Anfield press room ahead of the Liverpool-Real Madrid league-phase clash on matchday five of the Champions League (Wednesday, 9 pm CET): “It's going to be a very entertaining game, as Real Madrid-Liverpool always is. These are two historic clubs in this competition. Each team has its own characteristics and we'll have to see who has the character and personality to prevail. Liverpool are always very competitive and dangerous. They were with Klopp and they are now with their new coach.”

“Vinicius got injured at the end of the game. It's not so significant when, but the fact that he is injured. He has to recover soon and we have to think about the players who will replace him.”

Advice on line-ups
“I hear a lot of advice, but let's not forget that I've managed 1,300 games, I've done 1,300 line-ups and 4,000 substitutions. Nobody can give me advice on that.”

His current situation
“I'm fine, just like the team is. The last two games have gone very well, we've found a level of performance. We're more solid and we're feeling good. We have as much confidence as ever against a very demanding side. It's a great opportunity to get back to our best. It's going to be a great game, the team will be competitive tomorrow.”

Full-back
“Valverde did very well, but it was an emergency because I had no full-backs. Lucas Vázquez is back and he was in good condition in yesterday's training session. He'll have another session today and he's an option. It's a possibility that I didn't have against Leganés.”

The standings
“We'll have to wait and see. The league phase is a bit different from other years. Tomorrow's game will be a great match. We have to pick up points, in the games to come we have to pick up as many points as possible to be well-positioned in the standings. I don't know if we can make it into the top eight because we've already lost two games and it's not going to be easy.”

Alexander Arnold
“I can't talk about Alexander Arnold because he's not my player. I have good memories of Everton. I always treat Liverpool with a lot of respect. It's a fantastic club with a great fan base, but I'm still an Everton fan.”

Request for changes
“The players are very professional and they won't risk injuries to try to play. Those who have returned from the national team have been assessed over the previous days. We had an extra day to recover because we played on Sunday and Vinicius, like Valverde, seemed to be in good condition. Then sometimes a player gets injured because there are too many games. We all know that.”

Expectations
“It's an important match. Every win gives you more confidence and you have more belief in the future. Liverpool are doing very well in the league, but now we're back here. We hope we can play well tomorrow with a strong line-up. You can't talk about the end of the season because it's so far away, but we hope we will be here as always.”

11 muscular injuries
“We've had seven cruciate injuries. How can this be avoided? It's a bit difficult to think about. It's difficult because it's not a Real Madrid problem, it's a general problem. There are many teams also in Spain and England that have a lot of injuries. Everyone handles these things in their own way using different methodologies, but what doesn't change is the injuries. We have to deal with it. We will try, as we did last year, to make sure the injuries make us better. The injuries to Rodrygo, Lucas Vázquez and Militão against Osasuna have changed the team's dynamic. It's not a coincidence.”

Details that mark the difference
“The difference was that in the last two games, we were playing more solidly and compactly. This is going to be crucial tomorrow and in the next games.”

Asencio
“He's a mature player with character. I don't think he's too nervous, he's always focused. He's done very well in the last two games. I'm sure he'll do well tomorrow as well.”

Situation at Everton
“Of course I follow Everton. I'll talk about Everton tomorrow after the match.”