"Kylian Mbappe says coach Alvaro Arbeloa told him he was the fourth forward in the squad before benching him against Real Oviedo. The France captain returned from a thigh problem in a 2-0 win over Oviedo on Thursday, but his appearance as a 69th-minute substitute was greeted by whistles from Madrid's own disgruntled supporters at the Santiago Bernabeu. Mbappe said he was very good at 100 percent but did not play because the coach told him he was fourth behind Mastantuono, Vinicius and Gonzalo."
"Madrid fans have criticised their top goalscorer in recent weeks for a perceived lack of commitment, with Mbappe not fit to play in the Clasico last weekend, where Barcelona beat Madrid to clinch the Spanish title. Fans were unhappy about Mbappe travelling to Sardinia on holiday while recovering from his injury. The striker downplayed the importance of his trip, saying he had the club's permission to be away from Madrid and that he wasn't the only one, adding that you have to accept it and move on."
"The forward earned an assist with a pass to Jude Bellingham, also a substitute, for Madrid's second goal. In the end, I accept it [being on the bench], and I play the time I had to play, continued the striker. I can easily turn this situation around. Mbappe’s return came after almost three weeks without playing, with Arbeloa starting Vinicius Junior, Franco Mastantuono and Gonzalo Garcia in attack against Oviedo."
"Real Madrid coach Arbeloa said in his post-match news conference that he had not told Mbappe he had dropped down the pecking order. Maybe he didn't understand me well. I don't know what to tell you, Arbeloa told reporters. For me it's very clear that a player who four days ago couldn't even make the bench for a match, shouldn't start today, especially because this isn't a final, it's not a lif."
Kylian Mbappé returned from a thigh problem in a 2-0 La Liga win over Real Oviedo, coming on in the 69th minute. He said coach Álvaro Arbeloa told him he was the fourth forward in the squad behind Franco Mastantuono, Vinícius Júnior, and Gonzalo. Mbappé earned an assist for Jude Bellingham’s second goal and accepted being benched while playing the time he had. Madrid supporters had criticized him for perceived lack of commitment, including his absence from the Clasico and his travel to Sardinia during recovery. Mbappé said he had club permission and could turn the situation around. Arbeloa denied telling him he was dropped down the pecking order.
Read at www.aljazeera.com
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