Real Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa urged French forward Kylian Mbappé on Wednesday to demonstrate “his commitment” to the team in the final three games of the season.
Mbappé has received criticism from the club’s own fans in recent weeks for taking a vacation to Sardinia while recovering from a thigh injury.
The forward missed Madrid’s Clasico defeat to Barcelona on Sunday, which confirmed the Catalan giants as La Liga winners for the second year in a row and ensured Los Blancos finished the season without a trophy.
“If he’s there and can complete the training session and is available, then he’ll definitely get some minutes… and the chance in these three games to keep showing the commitment he has to the club,” Arbeloa told reporters.
The coach said he hopes top scorer Mbappe can play and keep “scoring goals, showing, as I’ve said, the commitment he has to Real Madrid, and that, as a coach but above all as a Madridista, is what I’d like to see.”
Arbeloa feels France captain Mbappe has given his all to the team ahead of Thursday’s La Liga match against demoted Real Oviedo. Mbappé may face whistles from Madrid supporters at the Santiago Bernabéu.
Mbappé is sure to receive boos from Madrid fans at the Santiago Bernabeu.
“All my players do; I couldn’t think otherwise. I couldn’t believe that a Real Madrid player doesn’t give absolutely everything he has for the club, because then he wouldn’t know where he is,” said Arbeloa.
