Real Madrid manager Alvaro Arbeloa has rejected claims that he told Kylian Mbappe he is now the club's fourth-choice forward. The French striker was jeered by fans on his return from injury against Real Oviedo on Thursday, and suggested his absence was not solely due to fitness.
Mbappe indicated that he had slipped behind Franco Mastantuono, Vinicius Jr and Gonzalo in the pecking order at the Santiago Bernabeu. However, Arbeloa insisted there had been a misunderstanding. 'I wish I had four forwards, but I don't. I don't know what to tell you because I neither have four forwards nor have I said such a thing. He must have misunderstood me,' Arbeloa said in his post-match press conference.
The Real Madrid boss explained his decision to leave Mbappe on the bench, citing the player's recent lack of match fitness and the upcoming fixture on Sunday. 'If I don't play him, he can't play; that's clear because I'm the coach, and I decide who plays and who doesn't. I had a conversation with him before the match, and I don't know how he might have interpreted it,' Arbeloa added.
Arbeloa stressed that a player who could not even make the bench four days ago should not start, especially as the match was not a final. He confirmed that Mbappe is likely to start on Sunday, saying, 'Seven days later, he will surely earn being the first forward again.'
