The Real Madrid coach appeared at a press conference to talk about tomorrow's match against Espanyol in the fifth round of La Liga at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.

He said: "Espanyol is in good shape, and we are also full of energy and excited to continue this momentum. They are an opponent with good speed and strength, but we are playing at home and want to play a good match, deliver good football, and win."

He added: "The absence of Dean House due to suspension? That doesn’t surprise me. I was hoping for a different decision, but he won’t be available tomorrow. We couldn’t involve him for 60 minutes, and it’s better to leave him there because accepting a mistake has its consequences."

He continued: "Will Valverde play again at right-back? Fede will play in midfield, which is his position. In the last match, he provided the team with what it needed and was very generous on a collective level. He is a key element in the team’s system, and we hope he won’t have to play at right-back, but it can’t be said that he will never do that."

Regarding Kylian Mbappe: "There will be many matches, and if he doesn’t start in any of them, it should be handled calmly. I don’t think any player will participate in every match. He is very important, but we must be aware of the loads, and there will be those who won’t play. We have played five matches, and maybe we need to wait a little longer to see where it heads."

On Vinicius: "He looks good. Seeing him from the outside is completely different. I saw yesterday that it wasn’t the right time to talk to him, but today his smile was better, and he was more positive. I spoke with him, and in the end, I did some individual exercises with him during training. We will see tomorrow."

About the participation of Camavinga and Bellingham tomorrow: "They are in good shape, although they haven’t trained much; maybe they will play tomorrow, we will see... Camavinga is such a complete player that he can play in multiple positions, like Valverde. But I see him in midfield, as a 6 or an 8. He has multiple capabilities, and now we need to integrate him into the team’s lineup, whether with the ball or without it."

He added: "We have gone through many matches that were affected by context, especially red cards, but I hope we can enjoy this feeling of control for longer periods. I want us to be creative and have stability in the game because that will give us mental stability and prevent us from excessive enthusiasm. If we overdo it in playing... sometimes we make wrong decisions. The longer these phases of the game last, the better it is."

Regarding facing Jose Mourinho, the new coach of Benfica: "I had the opportunity to face him when he was in Rome and I was in Leverkusen. It will be a special experience. It was three eventful years... and very significant. Mourinho has a great passion for this club."

He added: "How do you describe yourself as the coach of the team? I don’t usually describe myself. I am just a coach. Whether it’s good or bad... people are the ones who decide."

He concluded regarding Vinicius: "For me, there are many important players in this team, in terms of level, experience, track record, and what they will offer us. Vinicius is one of them, as well as Bellingham, Valverde, Tchouaméni, House, and Güler. I appreciate everyone greatly, and I want the whole team to feel its importance. Everyone is in this boat, and we need everyone to row in the same direction."