Xabi Alonso: "Ancelotti manages the team well, it shows that he was a player"
Xabi Alonso about his recovery: "I hope to be back soon. I am making progress and my come back is not far away, but I don’t want to talk about dates. There is no fixed date. People who have had this injury know that the recovery can be treacherous. I am close to coming back, but there is still a little way to go. We don’t want to rush things; it is a complicated injury that I would not wish on anyone".
Xabi Alonso about his tough summer following the injury: "I went into the summer carrying the injury and I struggled with the decision to have surgery and not go to the Confederations Cup. It was the most logical and fairest thing for the team. The recovery was going quite well, but I fractured my foot in training and that delayed everything".
Xabi Alonso about how the recovery process is going: "I hope to start playing in the early part of this season, but there is still individual work to do and am still in the phase before joining the main group. Then I have to get up to match pace, because the competition has started and it is more complicated having not played at all. There are some injuries that you know the recovery timescales for. The foot does not bother me too much but the groin injury is more treacherous. I'm training out on the field now though".
Xabi Alonso about Bale: "I played in the Premier League when he was starting to play and he was very different because he started at left-back. His progress has been meteoric. He is playing higher up the field and has more freedom. I have no doubt that he will show the tremendous quality that surprised the Premier League".
Xabi Alonso about Ancelotti: "It shows that he was a player. He has a relationship with the players that means he puts them in their best role and he knows what it means to be injured. He manages the group very well and is still getting to know the club. There are still things that he has left to do".
Xabi Alonso about what the other additions to the squad have to offer: "The foundations were already laid. We made very good signings that have very promising futures and are part of the long-term project. Isco plays well between the lines, Illarra will learn bit-by-bit what responsibilities there are playing in that position for Real Madrid, and Carvajal provides depth with the way he plays. We have to keep improving, but they are doing well".
Xabi Alonso about the way the team is playing: "Having an opinion from outside is a lot easier. When I see the matches I know what it means to suffer out on the field and I have moments of frustration because I'd like to be there. Things changed very fast against Elche and Levante. I watch the matches at home like a fan and suffer like one of them".
Xabi Alonso about the team’s great start in the Champions League: "The first win in Istanbul was critical. If we win at home against Juventus we on track to qualify. The next match away against them will be tough because of the atmosphere in the stadium and the quality of the opponents. I hope to play able to play by then".