Real Madrid striker Kylian Mbappe revealed that manager Alvaro Arbeloa told him he is the “fourth-choice striker” in the squad before leaving him on the bench against Real Oviedo.
The France captain returned from a thigh injury in Thursday’s 2-0 victory over Oviedo, but when he entered as a 69th-minute substitute, he was jeered by his own Real Madrid fans at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Madrid supporters have recently criticised the team's leading scorer for perceived lack of commitment, especially after Mbappe was not fit enough to play in last weekend’s El Clasico, where Barcelona beat Madrid to seal the Spanish title.
Arbeloa fielded an attacking lineup of Vinicius Junior, Franco Mastantuono and Gonzalo Garcia against Oviedo, as Mbappe had not played for nearly three weeks.
“I am very good, 100% fit, I did not play because the coach told me that for him, I am the team's fourth striker, behind Mastantuono, Vinicius and Gonzalo,” Mbappe told reporters after the match.
The striker provided an assist for Jude Bellingham, also a substitute, in Madrid’s second goal.
“In the end, I accept that (being benched) and play in the time I have,” the forward added.
Fans were unhappy about Mbappe’s holiday to Sardinia during his injury recovery. However, he downplayed the trip’s significance: “I was allowed by the club to leave Madrid. I am not the only one, but you have to accept it and move on. I can easily turn this situation around.”
Coach Arbeloa in his post-match press conference said he did not tell Mbappe that he had fallen in the pecking order. “Maybe he didn't understand me properly, I don't know what to tell you,” Arbeloa said. “For me, it was very clear that a player who four days ago couldn't even make the bench should not start today, especially since this was not a final or a must-win match… And because we have a game on Sunday where he will certainly be the number-one striker, as I told him.”
Arbeloa added that he could understand Mbappe, who has scored 41 goals in 42 matches this season, being unhappy. “I completely understand that Kylian Mbappe is unhappy today because he did not play, but it is a decision based on circumstances, and as I said, I did not want to take risks on my part.”
Real Madrid's season has been difficult, with manager Xabi Alonso replaced by Arbeloa in January. With Barca having clinched the La Liga title, Los Blancos will end a second consecutive season without a major trophy, and President Florentino Perez has called for an election.
