No change for Ancelotti as Madrid prepare for Champions League

Real Madrid coach, Carlo Ancelotti said on Monday that he will not be making drastic changes to his side despite seeing them drop five points from their last two league matches.

However, speaking ahead of Tuesday's Champions League tie at home to Schalke 04, Ancelotti did confirm that Luka Mordic will return to action for the first time since damaging his knee three and a half months ago.

"He won't start, but he will play around 30 minutes in the second half," said the coach.

Real Madrid have a 2-0 advantage against Schalke after their first leg win in Germany, but their form has been worrying in 2015 and Saturday saw them lose 1-0 away to Athletic Club Bilbao. That has seen the side criticized with questions asked about the form of Gareth Bale, Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema, for whom the goals have dried up of late.

Ancelotti was asked if he was thinking of making changes in attack, either of formation or personnel, but he rejected that prospect.

"It is not open to negotiation, because they have given us so much up to now. I have full confidence in them and although they have dropped off, the team isn't helping the strikers much," he said.

"We are going to play in the same way, we are not going to change our identity, because that is how we feel the most comfortable and it has given us results," he added, indicating that the problem was his side were playing too slowly in the buildup to their attacks, while rejecting accusations of tiredness for players such as Tony Kroos.

"He doesn't need a rest .. We have not played so many games in recent weeks. It is not a problem of tiredness, it is a technical problem, which we have to resolve," he indicated. Endite