Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti has played down suggestions that Toni Kroos is suffering from fatigue.

The German, who joined Los Blancos from Bayern Munich last summer, was one of Real Madrid's standout players in the first few months of the season.

Kroos's performances have been called into question in recent weeks, however, and he was substituted in the second half of Saturday's 1-0 defeat at Athletic Bilbao.

Ancelotti, however, has insisted that the midfielder "doesn't need a rest".

"The idea that he has been playing too much isn't true. During the past two months we haven't been playing so many games; it's not a problem of fatigue, it's a technical problem which we have to resolve urgently," Ancelotti told reporters.

"Kroos doesn't need to rest. The fact that he is one booking away from suspension is another issue that we need to look at."

Kroos has scored just once for the Spanish outfit this season.