Lass and Guti didn’t train with the team.
Lass isn’t on the squad list because he has a shoulder injury. Guti and Ramos are, but we need to see if they will be okay to play.

Does Lass’ absence change your plans?
Our plans are always affected by an injured player. We don’t have Arbeloa for our right back spot and we don’t know where Ramos stands. We have faith but we still need to see what we do tomorrow.

What do you know about Olympique?
Everything. We watched their matches against Milan, Girondine and Valenciennes. We are familiar with their players and the kind of football they play.

Do your men in attack have the freedom to put on their moves?
There are several factors to take into account. They don’t use predetermined moves, which is what has allowed us to score so many goals.

Are you at all worried that your rotation policy might interfere with equal playing time for all? Right now for example, Benezema would play less than Raul, who is ten years his senior.
Rotations aren’t a fairness problem. They are done based on performance, minutes played, the opponent. We also decided based on the two and a half ours of training each day. You cannot determine what the final numbers at season’s end will be by using rotations.

What are your thoughts on the start Benzema has had?
Karim is a young player who is adjusting to Real Madrid. It is important that he score goals, just like it is for Higuain. I go over each of their performances with them individually, but I am happy with the performance of all my players.

What happens if the team loses with Cristiano or Kaka on the bench?
I know I will be taking a risk if I leave Cristiano Ronaldo or Kaka on the bench, but their talent doesn’t detract from all the other players. There will come a time when we have to sit them. Not everyone may agree, but the players know it and understand. Every player is responding to what I ask for.

What are your thoughts on Olympique and what are you most concerned about?
They are a strong team that plays hard. They have good players lile Lucho Gonzalez who make them a powerhouse. We need to play well if we want to win.

Guardiola said that based on statistics Barelona isn’t the favorite to win the Champions League. Do the stats show that Real Madrid should win?
I don’t know if you can apply such a case. You would have to ask a statistician. The favorite team shows it on the pitch, not based on statistics.

Are you up to speed with Benzema’s situation regarding the French national team?
I respect coaches and will not judge Domenech. A lot of factors come into play when calling up players for international duty, but I do not like to analyze the decisions made by others.

We didn’t see you talking much with Cristiano Ronaldo during training. What kind of relationship do you have with him?
I don’t know how you saw so much in ten minutes when he was jogging with the fitness trainer. There is no problem between us. I don’t think you can draw such conclusions because he was substituted with ten minutes left in a match. We have a very good relationship.

What do you think about the investment Florentinto Perez has made in this second ambitious project?
It is the second term for Florentino Perez and I am lucky to be a part of it. He has tried to build a team with the best players. He knows the project to perfection and from a sporting point of view we are trying to see it through. We are all happy and excited with what he is doing, and we try to show it week after week.