Real Madrid faces another challenge tomorrow: a visit to Balaídos to face Celta de Vigo, knowing that only a victory will keep their hopes of fighting for LaLiga alive, after two consecutive defeats leaving them four points behind Barcelona. Amid all the negativity around the team, worsened by the club's mismanagement of Kylian Mbappé's knee injury and Rodrygo's shocking injury that will keep him away from football pitches until 2027, Álvaro Arbeloa wanted to send a message of hope to the tired fans, particularly regarding two players: Franco Mastantuono and Dean Huijsen.
Both players arrived at Real Madrid last summer, with great hopes upon them, but have failed to live up to the hype. Mastantuono was even suspended for two games for insulting the referee on the match last Monday, and Huijsen (as well as Álvaro Carreras) will also miss Friday's match due to stack of yellow cards.
"The Juvenil A team is full of players the same age as Mastantuono (18), and Huijsen could be playing for Castilla, given his age (20)", said the Real Madrid manager. "I remember what was said about Vinicius when he arrived, and look at him now with two Champions League titles and as one of the best players in the world."
"We must be very patient. Playing for Real Madrid is playing for the most demanding club in the world; it's not like any other. They have my full confidence and are incredibly talented. I would love for the fans to understand what each player is capable of, to take care of them, encourage them, and above all, demand hard work and effort from them. To encourage them to make mistakes, because they will; football is a sport of errors."
"We have some great nights ahead of us with them", said Arbeloa. It won't be tomorrow's night, with both players absent; but there are some key dates this month, including two duels with Manchester City in Champions League and a derby against Atlético de Madrid on March 22.