Álvaro Arbeloa suggests Vinícius Júnior of Real Madrid may be rested to handle workload.
Vinícius Júnior will undergo evaluation prior to Saturday’s LaLiga match against Mallorca, following Álvaro Arbeloa’s comments regarding the Brazil international’s lack of rest under his former Madrid coach, Carlo Ancelotti.
Vinícius was among just five players who completed the full 90 minutes in Brazil’s 2-1 loss to France last Thursday, and he played 67 minutes in Wednesday’s 3-1 victory over Croatia, with both matches taking place in the United States.
With a Champions League quarterfinal first leg against Bayern Munich scheduled for Tuesday night, Arbeloa will exercise caution with his key forward, who was in outstanding form prior to the international break, scoring consecutive braces against Manchester City and Atlético Madrid.
“He’s fatigued because my friend Carlo hasn’t provided him with much rest, which is understandable,” Arbeloa stated. “The expectations at Real Madrid and Brazil are immense.”
“Vini has a significant match load. He hasn’t had a day off, and today we’ll assess his condition and then make a decision.”
While Vinícius managed a rigorous schedule, Jude Bellingham did not participate in either of England’s friendly matches despite being selected by Thomas Tuchel.
Spanish media outlet Marca reported that Madrid expressed dissatisfaction with the handling of their midfielder and would have preferred he stayed in Spain to focus on regaining his fitness after a recent hamstring injury.
Nonetheless, Arbeloa downplayed the matter on Friday:
“Bellingham’s situation was exceptional,” he remarked. “He played a few minutes against Atlético [on March 22], but his [national] manager opted not to play him, avoiding any risks.”
“Jude is astute enough to have effective training sessions. I had no strategy; the England manager did. For me, it’s not an issue that he’s not playing. I see him as a crucial player who needs to return to his peak form, which comes from playing.”
“He’s been sidelined for an extended period, and we will need to approach it gradually.”
Brazilian defender Éder Militão has resumed training during the break and may be poised for his first appearance since December.
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“When he’s healthy, he’s the top centre-back globally,” Arbeloa commented. “It feels like there are two players when he’s on the field. He’s clever, a leader, and a game-changer. I’m very pleased with his return.”
With nine league matches remaining, Madrid travels to Mallorca four points behind rivals Barcelona, who will face Atlético Madrid later on Saturday evening.
Madrid had been on a five-match winning streak before the international break and will hope that it has not disrupted their momentum.
“We have nine finals in LaLiga, and we can no longer afford any mistakes in any competition, whether in LaLiga or the Champions League,” Arbeloa added.
“Our focus is solely on Mallorca. It’s a very challenging match, and the current situation has raised numerous alarms for me. When spring arrives, Real Madrid performs at its best.”
Mallorca has suffered five defeats in their last seven matches and is just one point above the relegation zone following a 2-1 loss to Elche in their most recent outing.
