I'll be at the cinema - Ancelotti to avoid watching Barcelona's clash with Valencia

Hehe, didn't expect him to watch sha. Carlo Ancelotti has no intention of watching the latest instalment of the Liga title race - and joked he will spend Saturday afternoon at the cinema rather than monitoring Barcelona's clash with Valencia.

Madrid host Malaga four hours after Barca kick-off at Camp Nou but Ancelotti claims his mind will be elsewhere.


"I'm going to the cinema. I will not see Barcelona," he joked. "But seriously, at that time we have to prepare for our game and it is complicated. It will be a very interesting game."

Madrid head into round 32 just two points behind table-topping Barca after the Catalans squandered a 2-0 lead to draw 2-2 at Sevilla last weekend.

Ancelotti will have to do without striker Karim Benzema, however, after the France international sustained a knee injury in Friday's training session.

"Benzema is not available. He will recover for the next game. We'll put the best possible team out to beat Malaga, who are doing very well. It will not change the team's strategy. He will be ready against Atletico [in next week's Champions League quarter-final].

"I'm thinking about using Javier Hernandez or Isco for Benzema. We'll see."

Isco was left out for Tuesday's first-leg against Atletico at the Vicente Calderon but Ancelotti insisted it was normal to have rotation at this stage of the season.

"I don't think Isco feels he has lost his position," he added. "He played the last Liga game and now there are no matches that are more or less important. We are fighting for both competitions.

"All players understand that all games have the same relevance. Isco is fresh and I can use him at any time.

“The Malaga game is not one to give minutes to those that need it, we need to win, put pressure [on Barca] and continue this streak. It's not a game to give minutes to Fabio Coentrao. He will not play."