Ancelotti defends Mbappe, blames collective struggles

Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has defended Kylian Mbappe amid criticism of the forward's recent performances.

The Italian tactician insists that the entire team, not just Mbappe, needs to improve their consistency.

"Mbappe's problem is the problem that we all have. The idea is to try to give our best version, not just of him but myself, other players.

"It's not a problem about one player, the problem that we have is one of a team that has not been capable of being consistent," Ancelotti said via Reuters.

Ancelotti acknowledged that Mbappe has faced challenges adapting to his new surroundings at Real Madrid, but he also highlighted the player's positive contributions.

"He's being scrutinised after the Liverpool game because he missed a penalty, like many of my players have. Yes, he can play better, but we can all do better and we will try to," he said.

The Italian manager also discussed the impact of injuries on the team's performance, particularly the absence of key players like Vinicius Junior, Dani Carvajal, and Eder Militao.

However, he confirmed that Rodrygo would be available for the Laliga match against Getafe.