Arbeloa Reveals If Mbappé Was Disappointed by Derby Role Against Atlético

Real Madrid manager Álvaro Arbeloa has confirmed that star striker Kylian Mbappé was not disappointed despite coming on as a substitute in the 3-2 derby victory over Atlético Madrid. Arbeloa also expressed satisfaction with the international break, though he admitted he had expected midfielder Jude Bellingham to get some minutes for England.

“Fortunately, all our international players returned healthy. That was our priority. It was a very positive break for most of them, as they accumulated playing time. Now we are focused on tomorrow's match, because Mallorca needs the points as much as we do. We are ready, although it's never easy to play away from home after a break. We have nine 'finals' left, and tomorrow is the first of them. Jude Bellingham's situation is a bit strange because he played a few minutes against Atlético, but Thomas Tuchel decided not to use him now. They didn't want to take any risks there. Jude is intelligent enough to train well and is ready to help us tomorrow. He needs to get into a rhythm.

Am I planning rotations? I've decided to use the best squad to win the match. We have three games in six days. All of them will be very demanding, and we can't afford any mistakes. Tomorrow, I will field the best possible lineup. But I always say this: we will need everyone, and that's evident. Mbappé said he presses less? Kylian is incredibly committed and perfectly understands what I want from him and from Vinicius Junior. Forwards need to defend less than defenders, just as they attack more. However, we need a team that is very committed every day. This applies to all 25 players. At the moment, we need to finish matches without holding back, and the players' talent makes the difference.

No, Mbappé was not at all disappointed about coming on as a substitute against Atlético. He has always had direct communication with me. We've discussed most things. The choice of starters for the derby was reasonable. Éder Militão will return. When he's in form, he's definitely the best center-back in the world. I haven't had the luck to use him yet, but he's a great defender. Because of his skills and leadership, he will be of great benefit to us. He's a player who makes a difference, and we are very happy he's returning. I'm not worried about staying permanently. I will be here until the last day, as I've always said. I want to help this team continue to win trophies, regardless of who is on the bench. That's all that matters.

Of course, I followed all the international players and messaged quite a few of them. I congratulated Arda Güler. I know what the World Cup means to him and his country (Turkey). I am very pleased and happy to see him happy. Is there a problem with racism in our society? I don't think Spain is a racist country. If it were, we would have problems every weekend. We need to eliminate certain behaviors, and these are things I cannot change. But I will continue to champion this cause. Spain must continue to fight to eradicate such behavior. However, we are a great and very tolerant country. We should not generalize, but continue with the same fight and strength,” Arbeloa commented at his press conference today.