With much of the squad away on international duty, Arbeloa is not giving his remaining players a break, ramping up the training intensity at Valdebebas.
Not even a skeleton crew at Valdebebas has disrupted Arbeloa's plans. With no midfielders or forwards available during the international break, the manager has decided to shorten rest periods compared to those granted by Xabi Alonso.
As many as 13 first-team players have traveled with their national teams. Joining them is Thiago Pitarch, now fully integrated into the group. In total, Arbeloa can only count on seven players at 100%.
That list must also include four injured players continuing their recovery: Courtois (tear in the right quadriceps rectus femoris), Rodrygo (anterior cruciate ligament tear), Mendy (muscle injury in the biceps femoris of the right leg) and Ceballos (tear in the soleus of the right leg), who has already resumed partial work with the group and could return in a couple of weeks.
There are also some surprises among those present. Lunin has not been called up by Ukraine despite playing in the World Cup playoff, and Trent has also been left out of England's squad despite being a regular.
Joining them are Carvajal, left out of Spain's squad but still hoping to make the World Cup, and Carreras, Fran Garcia, and Asencio, who have also not been given opportunities. The positive note comes from Militao, who is expected to be cleared to compete after the break.
In short, Arbeloa has only seven players truly available at Valdebebas. That is why he has decided to cut rest days and increase the workload: two days off to regain intensity and sharpen those who remain ahead in the final stretch of the season.
Xabi Alonso's approach during these breaks was different. During the September, October, and November international windows, the manager from Tolosa gave three days off to those not on international duty, with a return on Monday.
A model that Carlo Ancelotti tried to apply in his final season, but injuries and fixture congestion prevented it. Knowing that the Club World Cup would close the season, one that could have forced his players to play nearly 70 matches, the Italian planned to rest international players upon their return and give more work to those who stayed behind to make up the difference.
The same applies to Arbeloa now that the most important part of the season is approaching. That is why he has preferred to increase the workload of those who remain in order to even out fitness levels.
Now, with the most important stretch of the campaign just around the corner, Arbeloa has opted for the opposite: pushing the available players to the limit to balance the squad and keep the team competitive until the end. Those who have stayed behind have dug in hard to keep working.
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