Ancelotti happy with Madrid squad amid Bale talk

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti has insisted he is happy with the makeup of his squad as rumours continue to link Tottenham Hotspur winger Gareth Bale to the Spanish giants. Bale has been the subject of interest from Madrid all summer and they are reportedly willing to break the world transfer record to bring him to the Santiago Bernabeu. However, whilst Ancelotti admitted a player of Bale's calibre would always make a welcome addition, he stressed he is happy with the balance and unity in the squad as it stands. "I am very happy with the squad that I have, but the great players always make the team better," said the Italian. "The team has a good balance because there are experienced players and other young players. The atmosphere is good. "When a team is united, there are no problems. The team is united and I hope it will continue like this for the whole season." Ancelotti will be making his competitive debut in charge of Los Blancos on Sunday evening as they get their league campaign underway at home to Real Betis. He confirmed that Xabi Alonso, Raphael Varane and Asier Illarramendi will all miss the game as they recover from injury, whilst he said he also hasn't decided whether Iker Casillas or Diego Lopez will start in goal. However, the former Milan boss is hoping to get off to a flying start with not only a win but with some exciting attacking football as well. "I want to win, but I have said many times that here it is not just about winning. We have to win playing well, playing attacking football. I think the team has shown its quality in pre-season and I believe that tomorrow we are going to show the same." Source: AFP