Real Madrid's untouchables? Alvaro Arbeloa reveals the FIVE superstars he always wants on the pitch

Arbeloa has insisted that he wants to play as many of his star players together as often as possible, with the new coach identifying five of his players as key figures in the squad. The club’s big name forwards Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior are two of the players who have played every minute of the previous four games, with Arbeloa seeking to balance the two left-sided forwards in his front-line.

In midfield, Jude Bellingham and Federico Valverde represent mainstays in the side. The Englishman has become one of the best players in the world in the Spanish capital and Arbeloa is determined to make the most of the attacking midfielder’s talents. Similarly, Valverde’s versatility and the engine he offers makes him an integral member of the Blancos line-up.

Arbeloa, a former defender himself, is still yet to find a settled backline. Yet, he sees Thibaut Courtois as his undisputed number one in-between the sticks. The Belgian is unlikely to find his spot under jeopardy unless he were to pick up an injury or suffer a dramatic dip in form.

Asked whether the five players are considered ‘untouchable’, via France24, Arbeloa replied that he will “always want to have the best players on the pitch.”

He continued: “The more minutes they can be available to the team for me, the better.

"These are players who can shake up a match at any moment. There will be people who aren't Madrid fans who don't want them on the pitch, but I imagine Madrid supporters want their best players always available, always on the field.

"I think the five players mentioned are among the top ten in the world, and so they have my full trust. And it's not just my trust -- their performance is what's putting them on the pitch."

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Arbeloa insisted that the club are still “working to find the consistency we want in our game and at all levels” and added that “I think right now it's neither a time for disappointment nor a time for euphoria.”

Arbeloa said that “It's a time for work, nothing more,” as they look to keep pace with Barcelona near the top of La Liga. Madrid are just one point behind their great rivals and will be hoping that they can take the initiative in the title race with a victory over Rayo Vallecano on Sunday.

Anton Meana, reporting for El Larguero, revealed that sentiment could be changing within the Real Madrid hierarchy and that there could be an acceptance that shoehorning in the best players may not always work in the modern day.

He reported: "It is the first time that, speaking with important people at the club, I perceive the feeling that the plan has failed regarding the generational relief in the centre of the field.”

The comments from Arbeloa could give an indication that he is looking to move the side in that direction. The new coach has identified a handful of his best players and the club may look to build around these key men, looking for signings which facilitate strong performances as opposed to plugging those gaps with other stars.

There is a lot of pressure on Arbeloa already, with the inexperienced coach expected to deliver an improvement on the performances seen under Alonso. The former Bayer Leverkusen boss was shown the exit door after a mixed run of form saw the Spanish giants trailing Barcelona and cut adrift from the top eight of the Champions League group stage. Following defeat to Benfica, they missed out on automatic progression through to the round of 16.