Football
Dermot Corrigan, Madrid correspondent 10y

Real Madrid's Carlo Ancelotti: We must have confidence in this team

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti has tried to lift the mood around the club ahead of Saturday afternoon's La Liga game at Deportivo La Coruna.

Madrid travel to Galicia having lost two of their first three La Liga games of the season, knowing they cannot afford to lose contact with early leaders Barcelona, who will be hoping to maintain their 100 percent start to the season at Levante on Sunday.

Any further slip-up would add to the mood of disgruntlement around the Bernabeu, with many fans still upset at the summer sales of Angel Di Maria and Xabi Alonso, and president Florentino Perez having this week to defend his stewardship of the club.

Ancelotti told his pre-game news conference on Friday that he did not understand why there was so much doom and gloom among Blancos pundits and fans at present.

"We are not thinking about the gap to the leaders, it's not the time to think about that, the season is long and we'll fight until the end," Ancelotti said. "I am sure that Madrid are going to fight for all the competitions until the end. Everyone must have confidence in this team. I do not understand people who doubt the team. Four months ago we won the European Cup. There is room to improve."

Ancelotti continued his support for club captain Iker Casillas, and centre-forward Karim Benzema, whose places in the team appear secure despite regular barracking from the Bernabeu regulars.

The Blancos coach said he was happy with summer signings Keylor Navas and Javier 'Chicharito' Hernandez, but for now both would have to be happy with places on the bench.

"We are very happy with Keylor Navas," Ancelotti said. "He is a quality goalkeeper and was a good signing for us. But tomorrow Iker will play. Chicharito will [also] start on the bench against Depor."

While James and fellow new signing Toni Kroos are both expected to play in midfield, Ancelotti said there would be some rotation in that position through the coming weeks.

"We are looking at that," he said. "We have a lot of games between now and Oct. 5, and there will be rotation. The midfield is covered with [Asier] Illarramendi, Isco and [Sami] Khedira will return."

Elsewhere in the team centre-back Pepe is out with a muscle strain so Raphael Varane, who this week signed a new long term contract with the club, should start alongside Sergio Ramos in the centre of the back four. Ancelotti also confirmed that Dani Carvajal has recovered from a hamstring problem, and is set to return at right-back.

The Italian coach also refused to be drawn into the public sparring currently ongoing between Cristiano Ronaldo and former Bernabeu boss Jose Mourinho, while letting slip that he did not expect Mourinho would return to Madrid in the future.

"Mourinho is a great coach who can coach anywhere," Ancelotti said. "I do not know what his relationship with Cristiano is like, nor am I interested as it is something personal, and nothing to do with Real Madrid. [Mourinho] could coach at any club. He did not look for a good atmosphere here, so for him not to want to return would be normal."

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