Carlo Ancelotti pampers Ferland Mendy as much as possible to put him in the best condition for the semi-final tie of Champions against Bayern which starts next Tuesday at Munich. The French full-back is one of the defensive bulwarks Real Madrid have relied on to recover from Manchester City’s siege at the Etihad and the Italian coach, aware of the importance of the capital he has in his system, has given him rest in the last games. .
Ferland Mendy was included in the squad against Barcelona despite not training the day before, but his place was taken by Camavinga, again converted into an improvised left back and tormented by teenager Lamine Yamal. The Rennes pivot has been replaced by Fran García, who has been relegated to ostracism in recent weeks due to Mendy’s remarkable performances, from less to more this season.
The French international will also not be part of Real Madrid’s expedition to Anoeta. “He’s fine but I prefer him to stay here to work to be ready for Tuesday’s game,” Carlo Ancelotti said at the press conference ahead of the duel against Real Sociedad.
With 2,384 minutes in 32 games this season, Mendy is Ancelotti’s tenth most used outfield player. Since he left the physical problems that affected him in the last months of 2023, the Frenchman has been indispensable for Carletto: he played every minute of four matches in the Champions League qualifiers and in the League he had of six games in a row as a start.
Now, facing the decisive phase of the season, where Madrid have LaLiga on track, Ancelotti is looking after Mendy ahead of the Champions League assault.
Source: La Verdad
I am Shawn Partain, a journalist and content creator working for the Today Times Live. I specialize in sports journalism, writing articles that cover major sporting events and news stories. With a passion for storytelling and an eye for detail, I strive to be accurate and insightful in my work.
