Pellegrini press conference

Manuel Pellegrini gave a press conference prior to tomorrow’s 20:00 CET match against Valladolid at the Bernabeu.

How fit are Kaka and Higuain?
They both arrived this morning and they are naturally tired. They’ve both made the squad list, which means they will be ready to play tomorrow.

Why did Cristiano try to play for Portugal if he was injured?
People have talked too much about Cristiano’s injury. He was called-up by his national team and he felt ready to play following medical examinations. He felt pain in his ankle and now he is recovering. I think it’s only natural for him to want to play when his team risked not being in the World Cup. He did what he had to do and we hope he recovers soon.

How does he feel now?
He feels better, but we want him to recover completely in order to avoid future problems. We’ll see how much progress he makes every week.

Do you think people made too much of the team’s defeat in Seville?
I’ve been living in Spain for six years and I know how important Real Madrid is. I haven’t had a single meeting with the Club since the match. Many things that were said weren’t true. We faced a great opponent and we lost. These things happen.

Doesn’t the Club put too much pressure on the team?
We always want to improve and we all want the team to win and play as best as it possibly can. I don’t think we are far from what we are hoping to achieve because we’ve won many games by scoring plenty of goals. Our opponents are good and always do their best against us. I’m happy with our work. We want to minimise our bad moments. I don’t think there’s any pressure coming from the Club. We know what we’re doing. The players are completely devoted to the team.

Will you use any academy players this weekend?
Eiighteen first teamers have been called-up.

How happy are you with Sergio Ramos’ performances so far?
I don’t like to make individual assessments. I am very happy with the entire squad. I think Sergio is very much involved with the team. We have much responsibility and the entire squad is working hard to help the team achieve its goals.

Are you happy about Chile making it to the World Cup?
It is very important for the national team. I am very happy. I’m also delighted with all the teams which have Real Madrid players that have also made it to the championship.

How do you expect the crowd to react tomorrow?
I hope we resolve the match early on and that the crowd has fun. I’m sure the fans will supoort the team even if this doesn’t happen. We’re not worried about that. I don’t think the fans have ever left our side. They’ve been happy in every home game we’ve played so far and thrilled by seeing their team win by scoring many goals.

You have Kaka, Cristiano and Benzema on the squad. Do you want to capitalise on their speed or would you rather have them help out in keeping possession?
We will improve on all aspects of our game. You can’t change a player’s style, especially when he is that good. We want the team to perform well on a collective level, but we also want to capitalise on individual skill.

Has Marcelo had a rough time?
Every player can have a bad game. You don’t win or lose a match because of the performance of one single footballer. Marcelo will be an important player on this team.

Will you continue to use a rotation system?
I believe we’re doing the best we can to achieve our goals. I’m not worried about what people say. I haven’t had a single meeting with anyone from the Club. We are all happy with the job we’re doing.

What do you think about sustaining so many injuries at this stage of the season?
We came up with a squad this strong to face situations like these. I’ve never complained about sustaining injuries. This is a competitive team. Those who play tomorrow will do their best to take the three points at stake.