Milan manager Carlo Ancelotti admits speculation linking Jose Mourinho with the club has added spice to his job.

Mourinho ruled himself out of the running for the vacant England manager's post amid reports the former Chelsea coach will replace Ancelotti at the end of the season.

"I read an article in the Italian papers about Mourinho," Ancelotti said in Yokohama on the eve of Milan's Club World Cup semi-final against Japan's Urawa Reds.

"Milan were supposed to have offered him my job. They may have done but I haven't been informed by the club that there has been a formal offer. If Mourinho does want the job it just gives me extra motivation. External talk like that doesn't give me any added pressure."

Milan have struggled in Serie A this season and are 10th, 19 points adrift of leaders Inter Milan, but Ancelotti insisted there was no cause for alarm.

"I'm simply concentrating on my job," he said. "I'm not distracted by rumours about Mourinho or whatever. I hope to carry on tomorrow as I did today."

Defender Alessandro Nesta gave his backing to Ancelotti.

"We've worked together for a long time and we trust the coach," he said. "We have won many titles. We won the Champions League - that's why we're in Japan. We hope he stays."

Meanwhile, there was confusion over striker Ronaldo's involvement in the tournament. Ancelotti said the Brazilian would be rested against Urawa in the hope of getting him fit in time for Sunday's final, but the club's vice-president Adriano Galliani later told the club's website he would take no part in the tournament.

"We talked with the medical staff and Ronaldo himself and decided not to risk him tomorrow," said Ancelotti. "Obviously we hope Ronaldo will be fit to play in the final. You have to be careful and listen to the advice of the doctors in cases like this."

Galliani, however, said the striker who has barely trained since suffering a calf strain before a Champions League game in Lisbon last month, had been withdrawn from the squad.

"Ronaldo feels he will not be able to be ready for Sunday," Galliani said. "For this reason we have decided, in agreement with Ronie, to insert [Giuseppe] Favalli in his place."

Barring a huge shock against Urawa, Milan are likely to face Argentina's Boca Juniors in the final.

Reuters