Mourinho: "We win, score goals, have fun and thrill people; that's what matters"

"I expect Malaga to be excited and to look for a score that allows them to fight to win the tie"

Alberto Navarro / Translation by Michael J. O'Donnell

Jose Mourinho gave his first press conference of the year to analyse tomorrow's clash with Malaga in thje first leg of the Copa del Rey Last 16.

"We'll play at least six games in January and my intention is to use all my men. I expect Malaga to be excited and looking to earn a score that allows them to fight to win the tie. We will always use strong and balanced lineups capable of winning our matches. I expect us to win tomorrow, but I don't expect the match to decide the outcome of the tie."

"I wanted to win the tie against Ponferradina and I came up with two strong lineups to divide efforts amongst my men. We'll do the same again now because we'll play four league games and two Copa clashes with Malaga so far in January. My intention is not to reward my men with minutes, but rather to win our games. There is no room at Real Madrid for players who are not very good, so it may be frustrating for some to see they would easily be starters on any other side and that here they must fight for a spot. I manage the team and need all of them at the end of the day."

"We scored early in our league match in Malaga and had sealed it by half-time, but I don't expect tomorrow's clash to be like that. Tomorrow we'll play a tie's 180-minute first half."

"I wouldn't like any of my men to leave in the winter transfer window. I'd like to end the season with the same players I had when it started. My men and the Board of Directors are aware of this. Everything is open until 31 January, but I haven't asked for a signing and I surely wouldn't like anyone to leave. We have a number of players that add balance to the team in the three competitions."

"Players go through periods in which they're in great form and periods in which they're not. What matters is we have a solid squad with very good players. It isn't good to make individual observations because things may change in just one week. We win, score goals, have fun and thrill people; that's what matters."

"Carvalho is fine. He is no longer injured and we'll try to accelerate his recovery process to have him back as soon as possible after four months. He trained alone in the morning and this afternoon. He will not join his teammates this evening. He needs time to be in optimum form. He'll be ready whenever the team needs him."

"Callejon spent two years away from Real Madrid and knows what it's like to play here and for another team. He may value what it means to be here more than other players and every minute he spends on the pitch is important to him. For some players it's a problem to come out from the bench for just ten minutes, but he thinks it's fantastic to do so. He respects his teammates and they respect him in turn. I like his mentality and he is, without a doubt, a player for Real Madrid."