Speaking in the Valdebebas press room ahead of Madrid’s La Liga clash with Mallorca, Arbeloa admitted that while the circumstances were unconventional, he respected the decision to protect the player. The coach emphasised that the priority remains getting Bellingham back to peak match fitness following his lengthy spell on the sidelines.
Arbeloa said: "Jude's case was a bit unusual, because he played a few minutes against Atletico, but Tuchel has decided against it now. They didn't want to take any risks. Jude is smart enough to have had some good training sessions. And he's ready to help tomorrow. We need him to get back into match fitness. I didn't have any plan, the English coach had the plan. For me, it's not a problem that he's not playing. For me, he's going to be a key player and he needs to get back to his best form, and that's done by playing. He's been out for a long time and we're going to have to take it step by step."