Mbappe completely ready, Bellingham recovered, confirms Real Madrid's Arbeloa

Real Madrid's French forward #10 Kylian Mbappe was back in action during the UEFA Champions League league phase day 8 football match between SL Benfica and Real Madrid CF at Estadio da Luz in Lisbon on January 28, 2026, as captured by photographer PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA / AFP.

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Real Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa expressed his "maximum confidence" in French superstar Kylian Mbappe ahead of the highly anticipated derby clash against Atletico Madrid on Sunday.

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Mbappe made a successful return from a knee sprain as a substitute against Manchester City on Tuesday, after missing five games, and Arbeloa was thrilled to have the forward back at full strength, alongside fit-again England international Jude Bellingham.

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The duo is set to feature in Madrid's squad for the La Liga game against Diego Simeone's Atletico at the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday, with Arbeloa stating that Mbappe's return to 100 percent fitness was a significant boost for the team.

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Arbeloa had previously stated that Mbappe would only return to action when he was fully fit, and the coach's confidence in the player was evident as he praised Mbappe's impressive performance in his brief appearance against Manchester City.

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Mbappe has been in exceptional form this season, scoring 38 goals in 34 games across all competitions to become Madrid's top goalscorer, and Arbeloa was delighted to have him back in the lineup.

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Arbeloa also welcomed the news that Mbappe had been called up by the French national team for upcoming matches against Brazil and Colombia in the United States, citing the player's availability and fitness as key factors in the decision.

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Meanwhile, England coach Thomas Tuchel has called up Jude Bellingham for international duty, despite the midfielder's recent hamstring injury, which had kept him sidelined since February 1.

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Arbeloa confirmed that Bellingham would be in the squad for Sunday's game and was likely to play, given his availability and fitness, and the coach saw no issue with the player's subsequent call-up to the national team.

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Arbeloa praised Bellingham's intelligence and awareness on the pitch, highlighting the midfielder's ability to adapt to different situations, and expressed his happiness at having the player available for the upcoming match.

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However, Madrid will be without the services of goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, who is set to miss several weeks due to a thigh injury, but Arbeloa remained optimistic, citing his faith in replacement Andriy Lunin.

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Arbeloa described Lunin as an "outstanding goalkeeper" and expressed his "utmost confidence" in the Ukrainian's ability to fill the gap left by Courtois's injury, drawing parallels with the team's ability to cope with the absence of the "best goalkeeper in history".