Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti has quelled suggestions that Karim Benzema is unavailable for club action in order to keep him fit for the World Cup. Ancelotti shed light on several issues prior to their match tomorrow against Cadiz in the Spanish League. Most notable is the absence of Karim Benzema and the reason for the losses against Leipzig and Rayo Vallecano.
But Ancelotti denied that was the case."It has bothered me that he has not been able to help us with his quality - he has tried but he has not been able to come back from this small thing, so he is not available," Ancelotti said in Wednesday's press conference.
"I don't have to say anything to anyone. The first disappointed person is Karim, who arrives at the World Cup without the necessary minutes to be in good condition.
On the recent losses, Ancelotti commented: "The team lost its strength against teams that do not play in Europe like Rayo. It can be at a higher level than the rest and is less visible when you play against teams that play in Europe."
He further added: “Defeat against Leipzig really affected us, but the rest was very good. We achieved the goal, which is the top of our group in the Champions, and this cost us some absences, such as Benzema or Courtois in some matches."
On facing Cadiz in the Spanish League, he commented: "It is true that it is the last unforgettable match of the year, with magical nights, to end with good feelings. There are many things, especially the presence of a good and unforgettable memory of this year."
On the players' thinking about the World Cup, he commented: "I don't see that in training, they are competitive and they don't take their legs off. Nobody talked about it. The World Cup is there, but we've done well so far. A month ago the team was doing very well and didn't anybody think about that."
Real Madrid is 5 points behind Barcelona, the current leader, where the Catalan club leads the standings with 37 points, while coach Carlo Ancelotti's team collected 32 points, while Cadiz occupies 19th place with 11 points.