Real Madrid coach Álvaro Arbeloa has confirmed that Jude Bellingham is fit and available for the team’s derby clash with Atlético Madrid on Sunday.
Arbeloa added that he has no issues with the midfielder’s early call-up for England duty.
Bellingham’s Fitness and England Call-Up
Bellingham has been named in England’s squad to play Uruguay and Japan. His last minutes for Madrid were on Feb. 1, when he suffered a hamstring injury.
He travelled with Madrid’s squad for their Champions League round of 16 win over Manchester City but did not feature. Arbeloa confirmed that Bellingham is now ready to feature in LaLiga.
“He’s available, and he’ll be in the squad tomorrow,” Arbeloa said. “We’ll see if he plays. I think so. I’m looking forward to seeing him on the pitch. He’s an intelligent player, and he knows what to do in every moment. I’m happy he’ll be available and ready to help us tomorrow.”
Mbappé’s Return and International Duty
Arbeloa said forward Kylian Mbappé was now “100%” after making his return from a knee sprain as a substitute against City. He insisted he was happy for both stars to go away with their national teams this month.
“I said that the day [Mbappé] came back he’d be at 100%,” Arbeloa said. “We saw that in Manchester, with the runs he made. He showed that he’s fine. I have absolute confidence… He’s at 100%.”
Mbappé is among France coach Didier Deschamps’ players to play Brazil and Colombia during the international break.
“I think it’s great,” Arbeloa said, when asked if he thought that might be premature. “He’s available, and he’s played minutes for us. So there’s no problem with him going away with his country… With players like Bellingham and Mbappé, you can’t expect them not to be called up by their national teams. The World Cup is in a few months. I understand the situation perfectly.”
Tactical Adjustments for Atlético Madrid
Madrid suffered a heavy 5-2 defeat to Atlético when the sides met earlier in the LaLiga season. The team’s form has improved in recent weeks under Arbeloa.
Arbeloa admitted he’d need to tweak his tactics to accommodate Mbappé and Bellingham.
“We’ll make some adjustments,” the coach said. “Of course it’s not the same playing with Brahim [Diaz] as with Mbappé, or with Jude or Thiago [Pitarch]… But they’ve been elite players for a long time, and they know what it means to work for the team.”
Arbeloa said there was “no timeline” for a return for Thibaut Courtois, who suffered a muscular injury against City, and praised defender Antonio Rüdiger, whose contract is due to expire this summer.
“I don’t like to get into those things,” Arbeloa said, when asked about