-
‘Icardi can help Real Madrid’
MADRID: While Inter captain Mauro Icardi has an admirer in former teammate Mateo Kovacic, his potential transfer to Real Madrid wouldn’t be entirely necessary in the midfielder’s eyes as he sees Karim Benzema as the best striker around today.
Many onlookers have voiced their concerns about the French forward but Kovacic continues to back his Blancos colleague ahead of facing Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday. “I have played with Icardi, he is a very good player who scores many goals,” said the Croat to the assembled press.
“But we have the best forward in the world, which is Karim. Icardi is good and could help us for sure, but I don’t talk about signings.”Kovacic will be hoping to play some part in the midweek encounter having recently returned from an injur which he admits scuppered his strong start to the season.
“I think I can be a trigger for the team, I’m ready,” he added. “I started the season very well and it’s true that the injury put a stop to that, but I can still contribute. I want a more important role, as at the beginning of the year. “I am very happy to be playing again, it’s what I like the most. Little by little I’m getting back up to speed and soon I’ll feel very good.”
Madrid can use the clash with Dortmund to rectify their scoring woes having failed to push on from the 6-0 thumping of APOEL last time out in the competition. “The squad is not the problem, we have the best squad in Europe,” said Kovacic. “We have played some good matches and some bad ones, but we are working hard and we’ll see how the season ends.”
Kicking off at 20:45 CET, Borussia claimed a 2-2 draw on their visit to Estadio Santiago Bernabeu last season but cannot qualify even if they win on Wednesday (today).
