Ahead of a crucial group stage clash between Real Madrid and Pachuca in the FIFA Club World Cup, Los Blancos’ head coach, Xabi Alonso, stated that there’s no need to “recover” Vinicius Jr., but emphasized the importance of encouraging the Brazilian to become a decisive player at this stage of the tournament.

Expecting a Leading Role from Vinicius

“I don’t think he needs to be recovered, but we do want to push him to be decisive. Vini has that special quality, that unique kind of football. That’s what makes him such a different player. For Sunday, we hope he’ll be fundamental and throughout the season, I’m sure he will be,” Alonso said at the pre-match press conference held at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte.

The coach also stressed the importance of securing a win:

“We want to win. In such a short competition like this, during the group stage we need to pick up three points and keep the good feeling we had from the previous game. We’ve only had a few days of work, everything takes time, but the calendar forces us to compete well from the start.”

Mbappé Ruled Out Against Pachuca

Real Madrid will be without Kylian Mbappé for this match. The French forward is still recovering from a case of acute gastroenteritis that briefly required hospitalization on Thursday.

“Mbappé is feeling better. He came back two days ago after undergoing tests, and he’s improving. We’re becoming more optimistic by the day about having him available for the Salzburg match,” Alonso confirmed.

Rüdiger Cleared to Return

On a more positive note, German defender Antonio Rüdiger has been medically cleared to play after undergoing surgery.

“Rüdiger has been given the green light. After the operation, his return is very important to us. Of course, we have to ease him back in gradually,” the coach said.

No Focus on the Transfer Market: Trust in the Current Squad

Alonso also made it clear that he’s not currently focused on transfers or reinforcements:

“This is the Club World Cup. Right now, we’re not thinking about how to improve the squad we’re focused on what we can achieve with the players we have. I believe we can play with this group. We can build a dominant midfield. It takes work, but with different profiles, we can make it happen.”

A Work in Progress, But Confidence in His Method

The coach admitted that the team has yet to fully absorb his ideas:

“At the moment, the team has very little of what we want to implement. But that comes with time, with hard work and also with the help of video, which plays a fundamental role in these kinds of periods,” he said.

When asked about the team’s designated penalty takers, he chose not to reveal names:

“Before each game, we decide and assign it. It depends on the match and who’s on the pitch.”

Finally, Alonso reflected on his growth as a coach:

“I’ve learned from every coach I’ve worked with, but it’s important to have your own way of transmitting ideas,” he concluded.