Ready For La Real

We’re already to start the La Liga season tomorrow! A wee bit of catching up first though.

Friday Training

The team trained yesterday along with Mariano and Martin Odegaard. (Video

Cris, Pepe and Fabio did their own personalized training )Benz stayed indoors again but we got a look into his training process. He’s still recovering from Sacroiliitis on his right side.

Saturday Training

Pepe started training with the group again, which is great. Mariano and Martin Odegaard again joined the first team. (Video)

Cris & Fabio trained on their own, Benz did some running and Keylor Navas worked out inside.

FROM REALMADRID.COM

Zidane: “It is important to make a good start in La Liga”

“Real Sociedad are a strong team, it will be a difficult game, but we are ready for it”, the coach added.

Satisfied by the team’s work in pre-season and feeling ambitious in the face of this season’s challenges, Zinedine Zidane spoke to the press at Real Madrid City and analysed their first game of the season against Real Sociedad: “We’re going into this in good shape, having prepared well. All of our players are raring to get started in La Liga. We all know that this is going to be a difficult year, a year where we will have to fight, and we are all ready to give it our best shot”.

“We have to start well and be strong. We know that the start of the season is complicated. We have a difficult game ahead of us in San Sebastián and it is important to make a good start in La Liga. Real Sociedad are a strong team when playing at home, really powerful. We’re going to have a difficult, complicated game on our hands. They are a team that plays from the first minute to the last, regardless of what happens”.

Satisfied with the squad
“If no players leave then no new ones can come in, it’s impossible. The important thing is that I’m happy with this squad. It will be hard to choose my team but as I say, I’m happy with the squad. I am pleased with the players, we have a good team and we need to go out and show that every single time. It’s going to be a challenging year”.

Bale
“Gareth is an important player in this team, and he showed that last year. He wants to keep doing what he’s doing and keep making history with this great club. It is an important year for him, as it is for the others”.

Cover for Casemiro
“The situation is how it is. We’re not going to get fixated on it. Before we had Marcos Llorente who could play there, but he left because he wanted to play more. Now with all the players we have, there are others who can fit in there. We can also alter the system”.

La Liga as a key aim
“I’m not going to speak about last season. Now what we want to do is fight for what we have ahead of us. This year’s La Liga title is really important, it is what we’re dealing with day-to-day. We also have the Copa del Rey and the Champions League, but La Liga is really important. Atlético are just like Barcelona and Real Madrid, they’re a team that we will always fight against”.

“I know the challenges that the club faces. I know what we have to do and we have to be able to give our all, prepare in training and then, there isn’t a real science to football itself. La Liga is our key aim because it requires consistency, it is our day-to-day, and it is our real focus”.

Cristiano’s condition
“I can’t give any specific dates. The good thing is that Cristiano has been out on the pitch and kicking the ball around, that is a good sign. He wants to make a return soon. I am happy to see him in training. I have not been thinking about whether he is going to go with his national team. We have plenty of time to talk to him. The important thing is how he feels. I think the Celta game will be too early for him. We will see how he develops”.

Benzema’s progress
“Karim’s situation is different. He has been out on the pitch but has not kicked a ball. We need to give it time. I spoke to him and said that I don’t want him coming back only to get injured again, when he comes back he needs to be at 100%. Karim has had a few hip and back complaints. I can’t go into details. I have been speaking to the doctors and physios and they’ve explained things to me, it’s up to them to go into detail. His hip and back have been this way for two or three weeks”.

Asensio
“He played the other day and we will see tomorrow who is going to feature. He is an important player and I’m happy with him. He scored the other day and played well. There are a lot of players and they will all get to play”.

Morata
“I haven’t spoken to him about goal scoring targets. I am his coach and I spoke to him about what he has to do on the pitch. He knows the club and it’s values very well. Physically he is getting better every day and he is doing well for us”.

Mariano
“He will be in the squad. I hope he comes in and gives 100%. He is young and knows the players that are ahead of him. He is going to stay with us and fight to get some game time”.

Call Ups

The following players were called up for the match:

Goalkeepers: Kiko Casilla, Rubén Yáñez and Luca.
Defenders: Carvajal, Ramos, Varane, Nacho, Marcelo and Danilo.
Midfielders: Kroos, James, Casemiro, Kovacic, Asensio and Isco.
Forwards: Lucas Vázquez, Bale, Morata and Mariano.

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We get some El Pirata and Jailbait! action tomorrow. Really looking forward to the match. HALA MADRID!

– Lozil