Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti, manager of Real Madrid, stated that despite the six absences his team will face in Sunday's match against Leganés, "the club's objective is not simply to give minutes" to academy players. 

"It's quite simple to decide. I have the responsibility to field the best possible team. The academy is a very important part of the club. I don’t want to question the planning the club has done over the years. It has been excellent in the past decade. Many academy players have been and will continue to be part of the first team. But the objective is not just to give them minutes. We’re also monitoring other players, both here and elsewhere, who could be part of the club's future," Ancelotti said in a press conference.

One of those academy players is Raúl Asencio, who made his debut against Osasuna and is now fully integrated into the first team's dynamics. "He debuted against Osasuna and did very well. Physically, he’s ready, very enthusiastic, and highly motivated," the coach commented on the center-back.

Among the six absences are the first team's two right-backs, Dani Carvajal and Lucas Vázquez. Ancelotti acknowledged that playing Fede Valverde in that position is "an option," but he did not disclose his final decision.

"It’s an option. There are other alternatives we’ve tested during this break, and tomorrow I’ll try to choose the best option for the team. The idea is to field the best possible team in every match. That’s what I’ll do tomorrow and on Wednesday," he explained.

"The team is in good shape. We need to confirm the positive feelings from the last match. Obviously, we’re entering a very important stretch of games. The sensations are good, and hopefully, tomorrow we’ll have a great game," Ancelotti said about the upcoming clash with Leganés.

He also praised the responsibility being taken on by the younger players in the squad. 

"Some are stepping up more: Valverde, Camavinga, Vinícius, Rodrygo, Bellingham... We’ve lost a key figure like Carvajal, although he’s with us every day in the dressing room. The younger players understand that taking responsibility is important, and they’ll aim to progress quickly in this regard," he emphasized.

Ancelotti revealed that after the game against Sevilla, the team will decide whether to make winter signings to address injury-related absences, particularly the long-term injuries of Dani Carvajal and Éder Militao. "We’ll assess it after the match against Sevilla. That’s when we’ll decide what to do in the winter transfer market," he stated.

Additionally, Ancelotti highlighted the importance of Brahim Díaz, who scored five goals for Morocco during the international break. "He’s come back very well after his injury. He scored goals during the break and has returned in extraordinary form. He’ll be very important for us because he can play as a winger and support our wide players. I think he’ll have even more prominence than last year," Ancelotti concluded.