Bellingham bombshell: England midfielder among four senior players omitted from Arbeloa’s first Real Madrid squad

Jude Bellingham is one of four senior Real Madrid players left out of Alvaro Arbeloa’s first squad.

Madrid go to Albacete in the Copa del Rey tonight but Bellingham will remain in the capital alongside Aurélien Tchouaméni, Alvaro Carreras and goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.

Arbeloa has walked into an injury crisis after succeeding Xabi Alonso in the Madrid hot-seat on Monday but has still opted to take a youthful squad to their Segunda Division opponents.

The Real Madrid squad for tonight’s game

Goalkeepers: Lunin, Fran González, Sergio Mestre

Defenders: Carvajal, Alaba, Asencio, Fran García, Huijsen, David Jiménez, Joan Martínez

Midfielders: Camavinga, Valverde, Arda Güler, Ceballos, Cestero, Manuel Ángel, Palacios

Forwards: Vinicius Jr, Garcia, Mastantuono

Real Madrid have several key players out

The decision to leave out Bellingham and Co is surprising given the number of injury setbacks that have depleted the squad.

Madrid are currently without Kylian Mbappe, although he did make an appearance as a late substitute in Sunday’s Spanish Super Cup final defeat to Barcelona in Saudi Arabia, Rodrygo, Antonio Rudiger, Eder Militao, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Ferland Mendy.

Bellingham was reportedly one of several Madrid squad members who did not see eye to eye with Alonso, although he rubbished those claims in an X-rated rant yesterday.

“Until now l’ve let far too many of these slide, always hoping the truth will come to light in its own time,” Bellingham said on his own app. “But honestly… What a load of s***.

“Truly feel sorry for the people that hang onto the every word of these clowns and their ‘sources’. Do not believe everything you read, every now and then these lot need to be held accountable for spreading this kind of damaging misinformation for clicks and added controversy.”