Mbappé Says Arbeloa Views Him as Real Madrid's Fourth-Choice Striker – Arbeloa Denies the Claim
Kylian Mbappé claimed Real Madrid's Álvaro Arbeloa told him he was the club's fourth-choice striker, but Arbeloa denied the allegation and said the decision to bench him against Oviedo was precautionary after his recent thigh injury.
Real Madrid superstar Kylian Mbappé claims Álvaro Arbeloa told him he is the club's fourth-choice forward, though Arbeloa immediately denied making such a statement.
Mbappé returned to action for Real Madrid after recovering from a thigh injury in a 2-0 victory over Real Oviedo on May 14th. However, when he entered the pitch as a substitute in the 69th minute at Santiago Bernabéu, he was booed by the home crowd.
Real Madrid supporters have criticized their talented forward in recent weeks, questioning his commitment, particularly after he was deemed unfit to play in El Clásico last weekend, which the team lost to Barcelona, handing them the La Liga title.
After the match, Mbappé gave an interview explaining that Arbeloa had informed him of his fourth-choice status: "I'm 100 percent fine. I didn't play because the coach told me I'm the fourth backup striker, behind Franco Mastantuono, Vinícius Júnior, and Gonzalo García."
"In the end, I accept it and I play when it's time to play," he added.
Mbappé also addressed criticism over his vacation in Sardinia while recovering from injury, which had upset some fans: "The club gave me permission to be away from Madrid. I don't understand what people are saying, but I have to accept it."
Arbeloa responded to Mbappé's comments, saying: "Perhaps he didn't understand me well. I don't know what to tell you. For me, it's clear that a player who four days ago wasn't even a reserve shouldn't start today, especially since this isn't a final or a decisive match."
"Besides, we have a game on Sunday where he will definitely start, as I've already told him. I understand that Kylian Mbappé is unhappy about not playing today, but it was a decision based on the circumstances. As I've said before, I didn't want to take any risks," Arbeloa concluded.
