Aurelien Tchouameni returns to the squad after recovering from injury
- Real Madrid is preparing for a challenging match against Athletic Club in San Mames.
- Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham are now the primary candidates for penalty taking.
- Aurelien Tchouameni's return is expected to bolster the team's defense.
In Spain, Real Madrid's head coach Carlo Ancelotti spoke about critical decisions ahead of his team's match against Athletic Club set to take place at San Mames. The press conference took place as Los Blancos prepare for one of the toughest games in La Liga where they risk falling four points behind league leaders FC Barcelona, depending on the outcome of the Catalans' match against Mallorca. A major point of discussion was the penalty-taking responsibilities for the team. Historically, Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr. shared the role, but the recent injury to Vinicius has prompted a potential change. Ancelotti indicated that moving forward, penalties will likely be taken by either Mbappe or new signing Jude Bellingham, who has shown strong form by scoring from the penalty spot in their latest match against Getafe, which ended in a 2-0 victory for Madrid. Despite some criticism regarding the treatment of Vinicius's injury, Ancelotti defended the decision-making around player involvement in penalty situations, describing Mbappe's earlier miss as a responsible gesture. Another pivotal topic of the press conference was the return of Aurelien Tchouameni, who has been recovering from injury. Ancelotti confirmed that the player has resumed training and is ready to make an impact again, considering the defensive struggles the team has faced lately. This comeback could provide much-needed reinforcement to a short-staffed defense, particularly as Madrid aims to maintain pace in the league race.