Real Madrid manager Álvaro Arbeloa turned heads on Sunday evening when he did not start blockbuster signing Trent Alexander-Arnold in the Madrid derby.
The 15-time European champions barely had time to bask in their Champions League triumph over Manchester City on Tuesday before directing their focus to an all-important battle with Atlético Madrid.
Trailing Barcelona by seven points in the standings after their win over Rayo Vallecano early on Sunday, Real Madrid must walk away with a victory against their neighboring rivals or risk falling out of the La Liga title race completely. Arbeloa needs his best players front and center at the Bernabéu, but Alexander-Arnold surprisingly did not make the cut.
Why Alexander-Arnold Is Not Starting for Real Madrid vs. Atlético Madrid
According to MARCA, Alexander-Arnold was overlooked in Real Madrid’s XI as punishment for arriving late to one of the final training sessions ahead of Sunday’s Madrid derby. Taking a page out of Hansi Flick’s book, Arbeloa “didn’t hesitate” to send the fullback to the bench.
The manager “sent a clear message” with the decision that there will be order in the dressing room and no tolerance for a lack of punctuality. Alexander-Arnold was in line to get the nod on Sunday until his actions forced Arbeloa to pivot.
While the ex-Liverpool star looks on, veteran Dani Carvajal will start in his place, a switch that could potentially leave the team vulnerable to Ademola Lookman’s pace down the flank.
Getting benched in the second-biggest La Liga match left on Real Madrid’s schedule is a poor look for Alexander-Arnold just days after England boss Thomas Tuchel did not call him up to represent the Three Lions during the March international break.
Arbeloa Makes Critical Kylian Mbappé Decision for Sunday’s Clash
Despite Kylian Mbappé returning midweek in Real Madrid’s 2–1 victory over City in the second leg of the Champions League round of 16, the Frenchman starts the Madrid derby on the bench.
After Mbappé missed nearly a month of action, it is clear Arbeloa wants to proceed with caution when it comes to the team’s leading goalscorer, especially with the superstar forward set to join France during the international break for friendlies against Brazil and Colombia.
Should Los Blancos need a spark off the bench on Sunday, though, they will undoubtedly turn to Mbappé and perhaps even Jude Bellingham. The England international earned his first call-up since February after recovering from a hamstring injury.
Real Madrid Starting Lineup vs. Atlético Madrid
Real Madrid starting XI (4-4-2): Lunin; Carvajal, Rüdiger, Huijsen, F. García; Valverde, Tchouaméni, Pitarch, Güler; Díaz, Vinicius Junior.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Why Real Madrid Benched Trent Alexander-Arnold for Atletico Derby.
