Arbeloa pledges to back Real Madrid stars

Real Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa insisted Saturday he would stand by the team's star players and give them as many minutes as possible, despite debate over whether the team can function effectively with them all on the pitch.

Los Blancos, who were beaten at Benfica in the Champions League on Wednesday to drop into the play-off round, have sometimes struggled for balance when too many of their attacking talents play together.

Kylian Mbappe, Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Junior have completed each of the last four games for Arbeloa, along with goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, while midfielder Fede Valverde started all four and been substituted once.

"I always want to have the best players on the pitch, and the more minutes they can be available to the team for me, the better," Arbeloa told a news conference, when asked if those five players were "untouchable".

"These are players who can shake up a match at any moment. There will be people who aren't Madrid fans who don't want them on the pitch, but I imagine Madrid supporters want their best players always available, always on the field.

"I think the five players mentioned are among the top ten in the world, and so they have my full trust. And it's not just my trust -- their performance is what's putting them on the pitch."

Real Madrid host Rayo Vallecano on Sunday in La Liga, looking to bounce back from the defeat by Benfica and put pressure on leaders Barcelona.

French superstar Mbappe criticised the team for their inconsistency and Arbeloa said Madrid are working on solving that issue.

"Look, we're working to find the consistency we want in our game and at all levels, and I think right now it's neither a time for disappointment nor a time for euphoria," said Arbeloa.

"It's a time for work, nothing more."

-AFP