Alvaro Arbeloa's decision-making over his team selection has reportedly caused a surprise in the locker room. The Spaniard's spell as caretaker manager has been a bumpy ride thus far with several ups but many downs.
Madrid's season appeared to be back on track after they thrashed AS Monaco 6-1 in the Champions League. Every player looked at their best on the night and the Estadio Bernabeu were behind them.
But a nightmare 4-2 loss to Benfica last week has dampened hopes that this campaign could end up being a hugely successful one. Arbeloa's men will have to go up against the Portuguese side again in the Champions League playoffs.
Arbeloa's squad for that match and others has often included several youngsters from the Castilla side. He was in charge of the youth team before being promoted and appointed as Xabi Alonso's temporary replacement in January.
Jorge Cestero and Diego Aguado are among the youth talent whom Arbeloa has named in his squad in recent weeks. Cestero came on in the Benfica defeat while the experienced Dani Ceballos remained on the bench.
According to Cadena SER (via Madrid Universal), there is surprise in the dressing room regarding Arbeloa's decisions, including promoting Castilla youngsters. Snubbing Ceballos at the Estadio da Luz is mentioned as an example.
🚨 There is surprise in Real Madrid's locker room over some of Alvaro Arbeloa's decisions.
— Madrid Universal (@MadridUniversal) February 2, 2026
The profile of players being promoted to the first team is drawing attention.
Also, decisions like Dani Ceballos not playing against Benfica has caused this.
— @La_SER pic.twitter.com/WsPLe4BA3L
Arbeloa brought Ceballos on in a 2-1 win over Rayo Vallecano last weekend and the Spanish midfielder added creativity in the middle of the park. He had been reluctant to turn to the 29-year-old but clearly some behind-the-scenes feel this is an odd decision.
Real Madrid's squad isn't good enough despite board's stance
Madrid remain in the La Liga title race and are one point behind Barcelona with 16 games remaining. They can also book their place in the last 16 of the Champions League by getting revenge on Benfica.
There is every chance that Los Blancos bounce back from a difficult period and put together a run of results that leads to a potential trophy win. But its clear that this squad isn't good enough in the long term and needs a major overhaul this summer.
Florentino Perez and his board reportedly feel the squad is deep enough to compete in all competitions, per Marca (via Madrid Zone). That is quite bizarre given the club already knows they need to bolster their defense and midfield this summer.
It will be vital that the higher-ups make the right decisions in the transfer window and address several issues. A lack of leadership is one of them given the experienced Dani Carvajal, Eder Militao and Antonio Rudiger have spent much of the season on the sidelines.