Real Madrid will take on Getafe in La Liga on Monday without star striker Kylian Mbappe, who is sidelined by a knee injury. Coach Alvaro Arbeloa praised Vinicius Junior's recent form ahead of the match at the Bernabéu. Getafe's Jose Bordalas expressed respect for Madrid while aiming for a positive result.
Alvaro Arbeloa has called Vinicius Junior a “fantastic, extraordinary footballer” as the Brazilian prepares to lead Real Madrid against Getafe. The 25-year-old has scored in each of Madrid’s last five matches, including both legs of their Champions League win over Benfica to reach the last 16.
“My only contribution, if I have any, is giving him a lot of confidence, a lot of support and ensuring that his teammates look for him and, above all, find him in situations where he can showcase his talent and his greatest qualities,” said Arbeloa. “He’s a decisive, fundamental player. As a coach, my only focus is on creating more situations where Vinicius can exploit his qualities.”
Mbappe, Madrid's top scorer with 23 goals this season, is out with a knee injury that has troubled him since before Christmas. Arbeloa emphasized a cautious approach: “It’s very clear to us: what’s wrong, and what we want now. It’s that he recovers totally from the discomfort, so he can come back at 100%, with complete confidence and security.” The coach added that decisions on Mbappe's return, including for the upcoming Champions League tie against Manchester City, will be taken day by day without a set timeline.
Getafe coach Jose Bordalas lamented Mbappe's absence, saying, “I always want the best players on the pitch. It’s a shame that players of Mbappe’s calibre can’t participate, as that makes the spectacle even better.” He praised Arbeloa as a “relatively new coach” with “a great future ahead of him” and noted the challenge of playing at the Bernabéu.
Madrid's injury list includes defenders Eder Militao (hamstring), Dean Huijsen (calf) and Raul Asencio (neck), midfielders Dani Ceballos (calf) and Jude Bellingham (hamstring), with winger Rodrygo a doubt due to a hamstring issue. For Getafe, left-back Davinchi (knee) and winger Abu Kamara (muscle) are out, centre-back Djene Dakonam is suspended, and defender Abdel Abqar, forward Juanmi and striker Borja Mayoral are doubts.
Real Madrid have won their last eight meetings with Getafe, keeping clean sheets in the last four. Getafe have scored 20 goals in 25 La Liga matches this season, the second-lowest tally, but conceded only 29, the fifth-best record. The match kicks off at 20:00 GMT on Monday, with coverage in the UK on Premier Sports 1.
Arbeloa respects Bordalas's defensive setup: “Despite not having much possession, his teams defend very well. As the away team, they concede the fewest shots on goal.” Despite a recent 2-1 league loss to Osasuna ending an eight-match winning run, Madrid are favored in what is expected to be a tight encounter.
