Real Madrid Manager Ancelotti Laments FC Barcelona Star Injury

Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti lamented a serious injury suffered by FC Barcelona star Marc Bernal and took the opportunity to criticize the football calendar before addressing Kylian Mbappe’s goal drought at a prematch press conference on Wednesday.

Starting all three of Barca’s consecutive, season-opening victories this season, Bernal looks to have potentially had his 2024/2025 campaign ended after suffering what was confirmed as an ACL rupture and “associated injury to the lateral meniscus” shortly after Ancelotti spoke to the media.

Ancelotti has been there before himself, losing Thibaut Courtois and Eder Militao to the same setback either on or around Matchday 1 this time last year, while also waving goodbye to David Alaba around Christmas with another ACL tear.

The Italian said that “injuries at this stage of the season are what makes things the most complicated”.

“It’s what happens when the schedule is too tight and there’s no time to prepare. You have to choose between work or vacation. And when the vacation ends, 10-11 months of work come. It’s a lot. In August the intensity is [at the] maximum and you don’t have the proper preparation. It’s a problem for everyone… and it’s sad. Very [sad]. I want to face the best players.”

Ancelotti would not be drawn into commenting on a registration controversy surrounding Dani Olmo, which Real Madrid TV called a “sea of filth” in a “third world competition” after the Euro 2024 champion scored the winner at Rayo in the match where Bernal pulled up injured.

“It’s a question for La Liga, we respect all clubs,” Ancelotti stated.

While Olmo scored on his debut for the Catalans, Madrid’s biggest summer signing in Kylian Mbappe is yet to find the back of the net in two Spanish league outings.

Asked if a “drought” for the Frenchman worried him, Ancelotti recalled how Mbappe’s last strike was on August 14 in the UEFA
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Super Cup triumph over Atalanta.

“It’s only been two weeks! It’s not a prudent time to worry. Neither for us, nor him. He wants to score, that’s clear. And he will.”

Ancelotti said that Mbappe is “progressing” and “works with humility” at a time is adaptation is “going well”.

He was reminded of saying back in 2014 that having Cristiano Ronaldo in his line up was as if Los Blancos start each match “already winning 1-0”, and was therefore probed on whether this is the case with Mbappe as well.

“And [also] because of Rodrygo, Vinicius… we have a lot of resources. We have scored six goals and the team is not yet at its best. That says a lot. We will never have problems with goals, you can see that,” Ancelotti insisted.