Carlo Ancelotti has claimed that he was "surprised" by MARCA's story about Gareth Bale's fitness, stating that the reports were "not true". "Bale doesn't have any problems other than the fact that he didn't have a pre-season. He's played over 120 games in the last few years and he couldn't have done that with a slipped disc. He's worked well during the international break and he could feature tomorrow, though I don't know if that will be for 90 minutes or just one half. He's fit to play".
"I had three disc bulges", Ancelotti continued, "and it never caused me a single problem during my career. It's a common issue among footballers and doesn't affect their performance. Tomorrow I want to give him a run-out because he needs to play so that he can gel with the team".
The Italian insisted that the only way is up for Real and pointed to the comeback win over Levante as a possible turning point: "There are no easy matches. After the Levante game we weren't able to train with the full squad, but something had changed in the mood, the atmosphere. The players know this is a key moment and they're fully focused. Málaga is a strong team with a lot of ability and I expect my players to rise to the occasion".
Finally, the coach praised Marcelo's attacking prowess, while calling on the Brazilian and the rest of the team to show more solidity at the back: "All the players have to tighten up defensively. But Marcelo offers us a lot going forward".
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