Carlo Ancelotti he shrugged off criticism from two of his own Real Madrid stars in Kylian Mbappé and Vinicius Junior.
The pair have clicked into gear in recent weeks with a goal each in last weekend's La Liga win at Real Sociedade.
Midweek UEFA Champions League win against VfB Stuttgart featured a goal from Mbappe but the wider impact of the duo was reduced.
Ahead of a return to domestic action this weekend, Ancelotti is said to be planning a midfield switchto achieve greater control in the central areas.
This is based on recent possession statistics with Mbappe and Vini Jr struggling to offer defensive balance allied to their attacking output.
Ancelotti was typically assured about the problem before the host Spanish on September 21 and the Italian stated that the defensive work is a team effort.
“The goal of the team is to be compact. If Vini, Kylian and Rodrygo press high and the midfielders don't go up and the defense doesn't go up, it's not their problem,” according to reports from Marco.
“I'm not saying that they have to defend more, but we have to get closer in distances to the midfield. I understand that you think there is a lack of balance, because the three in front “doesn't work”, but that is not the case.”
Mbappe could potentially be the one starting on the bench this weekend as part of Ancelotti's wider strategy to manage game loads ahead of the October international break.
