Carlo Ancelotti says Real Madrid will appeal to reduce Jude Bellingham ban

Carlo Ancelotti says Real Madrid will appeal to reduce the length Jude Bellingham’s ban following his sending off against Osasuna.

The England international was shown a straight red card for foul and abusive language during a 1-1 draw last Saturday and received a two-match suspension.

The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) has already rejected an appeal to reverse the ban, but Ancelotti said Real will now attempt to get the punishment reduced.

“We have to respect the decision,” Ancelotti told a press conference.

“That said, the club will appeal in an attempt to cut down on the number of games he’ll miss.

“Someone else will play tomorrow. We’ve been capable of picking up good results without Bellingham and we can do that tomorrow as well.”

Real Madrid sit second in LaLiga heading into Sunday’s meeting with Girona at the Bernabeu but level on 51 points with league leaders Barcelona.

They will be looking to build on their momentum after eliminating Manchester City from the Champions League with a 3-1 victory on Wednesday.

Ancelotti said: “This game comes at a hugely important moment in the season. We gave a good account of ourselves against Manchester City and we want to see a repeat of that.

“We’ve reached a point where we can’t afford to slip up. LaLiga is very tight and every game could be crucial in making the end of the campaign in a good position.

“We’ve had a bit of bad luck. In the last three games we’ve done pretty well. We were much better against Atletico than we were against Espanyol.

“The same goes for Osasuna, where we were close to winning it with 10 men. We have to keep it up. If you play well and show a good attitude, the results will reward you in the end.”

Ancelotti confirmed midfielder Dani Ceballos is “fine” after the midweek match-up after an injury scare, adding: “All the guys who played are fine. I’ll assess who needs a rest today. I think having fresh legs will really help us in tomorrow’s match.

“The squad is improving from a physical perspective and we’re getting the centre-backs back in training. (David) Alaba could be an option tomorrow after a long time out. I’ll have to consider a few little things today.”