Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti has hailed a resurgent Jude Bellingham for leading the the team by example, not just with his quality but by showing “a lot of commitment.”
The England attacking midfielder has scored in six of his last seven appearances for Madrid, including in the midweek 3-2 win at Atalanta in the Champions League.
“I’m not sure he is the leader [on the pitch] but he is a very important player,” Ancelotti said on Friday. “The leader is chosen by the teammates in terms of attitude that a player has, for the example he can give. He is a very important player in that respect.
“Besides the quality he has, he shows a lot of commitment to the team which is something that the squad values more in a leader.”
Ancelotti also praised VinÃcius Júnior ahead of Saturday’s league game at Rayo Vallecano.
The Brazilian forward scored one goal and set up another in the victory at Atalanta on his return from a hamstring injury.
“It speaks a lot about him,” Ancelotti said of VinÃcius, who recently missed out on the Ballon d’Or award. “For us he is still the best player in the world but he is still humble which is strange for a player of this level.”
Madrid have been plagued by injuries this season and are without Kylian Mbappé for Saturday’s game.
Mbappé sustained a left thigh injury in midweek and is doubtful for next week’s Intercontinental Cup final in Doha, Qatar.
“It’s nothing very serious,” Ancelotti said of Mbappé’s injury. “He will travel [to Qatar] and if there is no risk, he will play some of the [Intercontinental] game.
“It’s difficult to say where they [injuries] come from. In the last two international breaks he has been here working with us. He has improved. Thankfully it’s a small period he will be out for. I don’t think he will lose what he has been able to generate in the past few games.”
Ancelotti confirmed that France midfielder Eduardo Camavinga is available having recovered from a hamstring problem while Austria defender David Alaba is closing in on a return from a knee injury.
“Camavinga will be available tomorrow,” Ancelotti said. “I think we are doing well despite the difficulties. We are still in all competitions and we will fight for them. We have to speak to the medical staff and the physios to see where we can improve. We will compete and fight until the end. Alaba is close to coming back. There are many positives.”
Madrid are second in LaLiga, two points behind of Barcelona but have a game in hand.
“I’m optimistic,” Ancelotti said. “We are in an important moment of the season. We played well against Atalanta. We saw attitude, commitment, quality from the team in that game. It was a complete game. That has given us more optimism for the future. Next week’s game is a very important but we need to focus on playing well tomorrow. “