The victory was made more impressive by the absence of several key figures, most notably Kylian Mbappe, who missed out due to physical concerns. Arbeloa was asked to clarify the Frenchman's status. “He had to leave training yesterday, and on other days he has felt discomfort,” the coach revealed. “After yesterday’s training, I spoke with him, and we consulted with the medical team. We believed it was best for him to stop and recover 100%, so he can return in top form and confidence without discomfort for what’s ahead. He’s very important, and from now on, we’ll wait. Let’s see if it’s a matter of days, and hopefully, it won’t take too long, but we’ll take the necessary time for Mbappé to regain confidence and for the discomfort to disappear.”
When pushed on whether it was a minor issue or a more significant setback, Arbeloa remained cautious but optimistic. “I couldn’t tell you the difference between discomfort and an injury. When he stops, it’s because we believe it is necessary since he doesn’t feel comfortable or at ease. If he doesn’t play, it’s because I understand he’s injured. When discomfort prevents you from playing, if we want to call it an injury, we can call it an injury, but it seems to be, and I hope it is, not a serious injury, a minor issue, and he can return in a few days or weeks. We have a diagnosis, but I’m not the one to disclose such data about the players’ health. We are very clear about what was happening, what has happened, and what’s happening now. We want him to recover, be at 100%, and that’s why we decided he should stop.”