Carlo Ancelotti speaks at a press conference ahead of the Spanish Cup quarter-final

The manager of Spanish giant Real Madrid, Italian strategist Carlo Ancelotti, speaks ahead of the Copa del Rey quarter-final against Basque side Athletic Bilbao.

Real Madrid have met the toughest possible lot. In the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey, he could have got Rayo Vallecano or Mallorca, but he was drawn against Athletic Club and away.

“It will be a very difficult match against a strong opponent. Moreover, the atmosphere at San Mamés is always fantastic. You have to be at your best to win on their soil, ” Carlo Ancelotti told the press conference that he was sure of the difficulty of the match.

Moreover, the Italian coach had a big dilemma to solve. Due to the national break in South America, several key players have left and he himself does not know how the players will feel.

“We will evaluate the players who are returning and have played their matches for the national team. We will have to look at them today, they have travelled a lot. If it’s just fatigue, they will come with us,” Ancelotti said.

Another question mark is about Karim Benzema. The team’s top scorer is being treated for an injury, plus the Champions League eight-final against PSG is coming up.

“At the moment we don’t know because he has only trained individually so far. We will see after training. We don’t want to risk the injury recurring. If the doctors allow him, he will play. If not, definitely not because of the PSG game. In the Champions League final, you can take the risk, but not in the middle of the season,” the Los Blancos coach said.

Fans may well be in for a return to the old days. Eden Hazard and Gareth Bale are not starting, often due to injury or poor form. But at the moment, both are healthy and with the absence of some of the attacking stars, their return to the line-up is possible.

“Yes, it is quite possible. Both are feeling good. After all, so is Asensio, who has fully recovered from his injury. Sure, Vini Jr. and Rodrygo have just returned from the trip, but they are in their twenties. Not 60 like me. But yes, Hazard and Bale are ready to play,” Ancelotti mused on his options.

We’ll find out how the quarter-final match turns out late in the night. The match kicks off at 9:30pm on Sport 2.

Source: Real Madrid