Ancelotti reveals to Mikel Obi where Mbappe will play for Real Madrid

Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti has revealed to former Super Eagles midfielder John Obi Mikel exactly where new Los Blancos signing Kylian Mbappe will fit into his already-stocked attack.

Mbappe’s addition to the side that is already brimming with talent has brought up suspicions that someone would have to make way for the French star in the Real Madrid set-up.

At Paris Saint-Germain and with the France national team, Mbappe has often been deployed on the left side of attack or playing off another striker and has previously stated his preference to play there.

However, his preference for playing on the left has been seen by pundits as a problem since that spot at Real Madrid is currently held down at Real Madrid by Brazilian forward Vinicius Junior.

Besides Vinicius Junior, another prodigious youngster Rodrygo is also originally a left-winger but has been forced to play on the right wing and at centre-forward to accommodate Vinicius Junior, meaning Mbappe would be up against two players for one slot.

Given the potential problem, Ancelotti was asked how he would fit Mbappe into his squad on the Obi One podcast, and he replied, “I see him playing in front. And the front, the attack is quite wide. The pitch is 68 metres. You have to cover the 68 metres with the players in front.”

The veteran Italian manager also explained how he could make Mbappe’s inclusion and preferences work, using examples of last season’s squad to drive home his point.

Ancelotti told Mikel, “If I ask you where Vinicius played last season, it’s difficult to say, he didn’t play like a winger. The important key to have a good attack is good attacking players, the mobility of the players. Sometimes they can play on the left, sometimes they can play in the middle.

“Bellingham sometimes played on the left, sometimes played in the middle, sometimes went to the right. Rodrygo started most of the game on the right, but sometimes during the game, played on the left. It is important the mobility and creativity of players when they have the ball.”

Mbappe has now become Real Madrid’s top earner following his move from PSG, and Ancelotti would definitely have plans for the French forward, and only time will tell exactly how the Italian tactician will make it work.