Ancelotti not to change team for Champions League

Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti said 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 against Schalke 04, Ancelotti confirmed that Luka Mordic will return to action for the first time since damaging his knee three and a half months ago, reports Xinhua.

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

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 0-1 away to Athletic Club Bilbao. That has seen the side being criticised with questions asked about the form of Gareth Bale, Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema, for whom the goals have dried up of late.

Asked if he was thinking of making changes in attack, Ancelotti rejected the 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.

Ancelotti indicated that the problem was his side playing too slow in the build up to their attacks and rejected accusations of tiredness for players such as Tony Kroos.

"He doesn't need 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 said.