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Alvaro Arbeloa denies rift with Real Madrid captain Dani Carvajal – ‘It’s simple, only 11 can play’
TL;DR
Alvaro Arbeloa has denied any rift with Real Madrid captain Dani Carvajal, emphasizing that only 11 players can start. Carvajal's limited playing time has raised questions, but Arbeloa insists he values the player highly.
Key points
- Alvaro Arbeloa denies rift with Dani Carvajal
- Only 11 players can start in a match
- Carvajal has struggled for starts since returning to fitness
- Trent Alexander-Arnold has been preferred over Carvajal
- Arbeloa believes Carvajal is ready for the World Cup
Mentioned in this story
Alvaro ArbeloaDani CarvajalTrent Alexander-Arnold
Real MadridAlaves
Alvaro Arbeloa denies rift with Real Madrid captain Dani Carvajal – ‘It’s simple, only 11 can play’
Real Madrid manager Alvaro Arbeloa has denied any issues with captain Dani Carvajal, after talk of a rift between the two in the Spanish capital. The 34-year-old was expected to start against Alaves on Tuesday, but Trent Alexander-Arnold was given the start ahead of him.
Carvajal has struggled for starts under Arbeloa since returning to fitness in January, with Alexander-Arnold preferred for the most part. With Los Blancos now only in one competition, it came as a surprise that Carvajal was not given the opportunity, and his response to that was that he was doing the best for his team on Tuesday.
“My response the other day was curt and serious, to a question I found out of place; it wasn’t about Dani Carvajal. You can see my responses whenever I talk about him; ask my players how I speak about him in front of the group. You’re trying to put me in a difficult position in this unfair situation. He’s more than ready to go to the World Cup, I’m happy with him, and I think he should be just as important to the national team.”
“I’ve always had a good relationship with him, I’ve always treated him with affection, respect, and admiration. For people to think I make lineups for personal reasons… I find it hard to believe that any coach in the world doesn’t make lineups for footballing reasons.”
‘Only XI players can play’ – Alvaro Arbeloa
In terms of what Carvajal is lacking to be given more opportunities, Arbeloa said that Carvajal was not the only player he was being ‘unfair’ with.
Q&A
What did Alvaro Arbeloa say about his relationship with Dani Carvajal?
Alvaro Arbeloa denied any rift with Dani Carvajal, stating that only 11 players can play at a time.
Why has Dani Carvajal struggled for starts under Alvaro Arbeloa?
Dani Carvajal has struggled for starts since returning to fitness, with Trent Alexander-Arnold often preferred in the lineup.
How did Dani Carvajal respond to his lack of playing time?
Dani Carvajal stated he was doing the best for his team despite not starting in recent matches.
Is Dani Carvajal expected to play in the World Cup?
Alvaro Arbeloa expressed confidence in Carvajal's readiness for the World Cup, indicating he should be an important player for the national team.
