Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti has revealed that Aurelien Tchouameni was substituted during Thursday's clash with Mallorca due to a head injury, while Federico Valverde and Jude Bellingham were suffering with muscular overload issues.
Los Blancos booked their spot in Sunday's Spanish Super Cup final against Barcelona courtesy of a 3-0 success over Mallorca in their semi-final, with Bellingham and Rodrygo on the scoresheet either side of an own goal from Martin Valjent.
Tchouameni was replaced in the early stages of the second half with a head injury, while Valverde departed in the 75th minute; Bellingham was able to complete the contest, but Ancelotti said after the game that the two midfielders both had overload issues.
"Tchouameni was fine when I saw him on the bench. The doctor preferred to take him off because it was a blow to the head. Bellingham and Valverde ended up with cramps because it was warmer than we expected. That affected the rhythm of the game," said Ancelotti.
Tchouameni insisted that he would be available for Sunday's final against Barcelona when questioned after the match.
"I'm fine. The doctors advised me to come off because it could've been serious. Now I'm going to recover to play the next game," the France international told reporters ahead of El Clasico.
© Imago
Tchouameni, Valverde, Bellingham suffered issues against Mallorca
Valverde and Bellingham are also both expected to be available this weekend, as Real Madrid look to land their third trophy of the 2024-25 campaign following their successes in the UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Intercontinental Cup.
"We suffered despite the fact that we started very well. We had our chances to score in the first half. It was a demanding game because Mallorca defended very well, closed down very well and looked for their chances with crosses. They created problems for us on a couple of occasions," Ancelotti added during his press conference.
"Although we weren't at our best, we played well as a team and we deserved to win. We did well at the back. After Tchouameni's injury, Raul Asencio came on and played well. Against Barcelona we'll try to defend and attack well because that's football.
"In recent times the Clasico has always been unpredictable. There have been games that we've won easily and others where they've beaten us 0-4. It's difficult to think about what the final will be like, but it's going to be entertaining because there'll be a lot of talent on the pitch. I don't know how it will go. We will try to do better than Barcelona.
"We're pretty close to our optimum level. We continue to get results and we have to carry on in this vein. More than looking for the best level, we have to look for consistency in terms of play and results. At the moment it's going well."
© Imago
Ancelotti pays tribute to Bellingham, Mbappe
Ancelotti was also full of praise for Bellingham and Kylian Mbappe after the match, with the former scoring his ninth goal of the campaign, while the latter was a constant problem for Mallorca.
"He's (Mbappe) doing very well now and is showing his best side. In December he did very well, scoring goals, and little by little he's reaching his best level. What is his best level? I don't know. With the quality he has, I don't know how far he can go," said the Italian.
"He's (Bellingham) essential. The team's improvement has come because Bellingham, Vini Jr (Vinicius Junior), Rodrygo and Mbappe have combined more. Also because we had a good balance with a lot of forwards on the pitch."
Real Madrid have won the Spanish Super Cup on 13 occasions, while they are the holders of the trophy, having beaten Barcelona 4-1 in last year's final in Saudi Arabia.
Matt Law
