'The first thing..' Carlos Ancelotti praises Aurelien Tchouameni ahead of Laliga fixture

Real Madrid has a great opportunity to climb to the top of the La Liga standings as they prepare to face Rayo Vallecano on Saturday night at Vallecas. 

With only two points separating them from leaders Barcelona, a victory would allow Los Blancos to momentarily surpass their rivals, especially since Hansi Flick’s team is set to play on Sunday.

Before the game, manager Carlo Ancelotti took the opportunity to address the media today, providing insights into the injury of star player Kylian Mbappe and praising Tchouameni. 

Ancelotti also outlined the team's focused strategy for the upcoming La Liga fixture, emphasising their preparedness.

“It will be demanding; we have always struggled against Rayo. They play well; they are intense. But we are confident. The team has recovered well, after an extra day’s rest, and we’re going with all our enthusiasm.” Ancelotti said.

“Kylian is not serious; he won’t be here tomorrow, but he will travel to Qatar, and there we will assess the risk. Camavinga is fine. He’s available for tomorrow. It’s a difficult thing. In the last few breaks he’s been here, resting, working... you don’t know," he added.

"Fortunately, he’ll only be out for a small period, and he won’t lose what he’s achieved in recent times,” he added.

Ancelotti praised Tchouameni 

In the last two fixtures against Girona and Atalanta, Ancelotti has made the choice to utilise Aurelien Tchouameni at centre-back instead of the emerging talent Raul Asencio. When questioned about whether he views the Frenchman primarily as a defender rather than a midfielder, he confirmed his stance.

“The first thing is to thank him for his commitment and his unselfishness. He plays there without complaining and makes the best of it. Against Atlanta and Girona, he did very well, and it’s no coincidence that we won those two games with him. Bearing in mind that it’s not his position, but he does it for the team,” he added.

“He’s a fundamental pivot, one like few others on the market, but we’re in an emergency," Ancelotti concluded.