Saturday 21 / December / 2024
New Delhi: Real Madrid's head coach Carlo Ancelotti opened up on Vinicius Junior's injury which forced him out of the Madrid derby at the last moment on Monday and said that the Brazilian attacker suffered a "cervical contracture".
Ancelotti said at the post-match press conference that Vinicius was not feeling "comfortable in the warm-up" for which he was excluded from the playing eleven.
However, the Italian head coach did not talk about his recovery and comeback to the first eleven.
"He gave it a go, but he had a cervical contracture. He wasn't comfortable in the warm-up. We had the option of Brahim or Joselu and the introduction of Brahim allowed us to keep the same defensive system. That's all. Joselu then came on and did well, as always," Ancelotti said as quoted by Real Madrid website.
While talking about the game, the Los Blancos head coach said that it was a "good game" against Atletico Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu.
"It was a very good game from our point of view. We played well and controlled the game well, but we were unlucky to concede in the last minute. We were lacking in height and we had to dig deep. We deserved the win, but there have been many games that we have won in the last few minutes. There's nothing to criticise ourselves for. We're at the top of the table and we have the chance to make an impact next Saturday," he said.
"We're relaxed because the team is doing very well. We're playing very good football and that's what gives me the most confidence going forward in the league. We have a strong team. We had some injuries, but everyone played their part and everyone has given their all. We're not happy because we deserved to win. We've come from behind in a lot of games and we were happy. The team has to stay calm because they've given their all. We come away satisfied, with confidence and at ease. We're two points clear of the second-placed team," he added.
The Los Blancos split points with Atletico Madrid on Monday, following a 1-1 draw. Brahim Diaz made the first breakthrough and gave a lead to Real in the 20th minute. However, just minutes before the final whistle, Atletico's Marcos Llorente levelled the scoreline.
After the 1-1 draw, Real stand at the top place on the La Liga standings with 58 points by their name after winning 18 of 23 matches. The Los Blancos will lock horns against Girona in their upcoming match in La Liga.
