Real Madrid 29-year-old midfielder not in Alvaro Arbeloa’s plans – report | OneFootball

Real Madrid played their first game under new manager Alvaro Arbeloa on Wednesday night and it was one to forget as they lost 3-2 to lower league side Albacete and were dumped out of the Copa del Rey at the Round of 16.

Arbeloa cannot be fully held to blame for the result, considering that he had only one day with the first team, having been promoted from his position as Castilla’s head coach after Xabi Alonso’s dismissal.

While the defeat was rock bottom for Real Madrid in what is turning out to be another disappointing season, it gave some indication as to how Arbeloa wants to set his team up and the personnel he plans to count on for the rest of the season.

No Dani Ceballos in Arbeloa’s plans

In that regard, AS reports that senior midfielder Dani Ceballos is not in Arbeloa’s plans moving forward at Real Madrid.

Of the nine substitutes available to him on Wednesday, Arbeloa used five players. Two were backup goalkeepers – Sergio Mestre and Fran Gonzalez, with the other two unused players being Ceballos and young defender Joan Martinez.

The new manager handed a start to academy graduate Jorge Cestero in midfield for the game while also calling upon other La Fabrica midfielders Cesar Palacios and Manuel Angel from the bench, along with Eduardo Camavinga.

Ceballos, though, was left warming the bench, providing a clear indicator that Arbeloa does not plan on relying on the 29-year-old star heavily.

Not in Arbeloa’s plans? (Photo by Florencia Tan Jun/Getty Images)

The former Real Betis star was already behind the likes of Jude Bellingham, Arda Guler, Aurelien Tchouameni, Federico Valverde, and Camavinga in the pecking order. And Arbeloa’s first few days as coach suggest his situation might not improve.

As per the report, Ceballos had already received one of Arbeloa’s first public reprimands during the coach’s initial training session at Valdebebas, with the new coach telling him: “Dani, you have no idea what is going on….”

Not a new situation

This is not something entirely new for Ceballos, who was barely used by Arbeloa’s predecessor, Xabi Alonso.

Indeed, during the now ex-coach’s tenure, the Spanish midfielder featured only in 17 of the 33 matches, accumulating 666 minutes in total and completing only one full match, against Kairat Almaty.

Last summer he came close to leaving on loan to Olympique de Marseille, but the move ended collapsing. He has repeatedly hinted at a return to Real Betis, his former team, but without success.

It remains to be seen what sort of role he has in the squad for the next months, but early signs do not inspire confidence for Ceballos.