Referee of the Match

We are worried about the game, not the referees. The referee should be left alone – he is a great referee, this is his first derby. He will face the expectation of doing things well, just like the players.

Fixture

We are preparing for the game with the same excitement we have for every league match. We are facing a strong team, very confident, missing big players and getting over it. It will always be a difficult game like against Real Madrid and we will try to find the best way to beat them.

Injuries

I think every team has injuries, yesterday I heard Pep Guardiola talking about the injuries in the best team in the world, we coaches have to deal with that. We have to make the best recovery with less time, and the teams that do it best will benefit from that, but there will be injuries. When you have the balance of 12 or 13 players all the time it's obviously better for the team because it's more complicated when you have to make changes. But we have to get through it because it will happen.

Real Madrid

I've been here for 10 or 11 years. Real Madrid and Barcelona have always had great teams because they are big clubs with great players and we have always competed well. What we need to do is continue to improve, continue to focus on ourselves, believe in ourselves to compete, and do our best to compete.

About the Derby

Whether you're in a good time or not, the derby is always a great opportunity. These are special matches. Two teams from the capital and two very high quality teams. The matches were always very intense and great to watch. I don't think Atlético's loss to Valencia will be affected because they also played a good match against Lazio. This is a different match. Before an important match like tomorrow's, emotions are always good. We have the desire, enthusiasm, and anxiety to measure ourselves against an opponent with many resources. We don't want to put Atlético in trouble, we want to add points and try to win the League.

Vini Jr.

Vinicius participated in training yesterday and today. Considering that he will take a 1% risk, he cannot play. The important thing is that he has recovered, but since he is away for a month, he lacks physical condition. We will evaluate everything tomorrow. Arda Güler and Carvajal will not be able to play.

Central Players Selection

Leaving Kroos, Modrić, Valverde, Tchouameni or Camavinga on the bench costs too much. The competition in the center of the pitch is very high and when I make a change this week, I see the player coming out upset. I understand that someone comes out upset because they think I'm replacing them because they're not playing well, but I'm doing it because I have the resources and I'm going to put in a fresher player.