Alvaro Arbeloa says he is determined to see Dani Carvajal back to his best amid speculation over the future of the Real Madrid stalwart.
Carvajal has played just 10 games for Madrid in all competitions this season, making just four starts.
The 34-year-old has played 470 minutes this season and Arbeloa selected youngster David Jimenez ahead of Carvajal for last week’s LaLiga win over Valencia.
Reports earlier this week suggested Carvajal was unhappy at Madrid, while rumors also suggested he would leave the club at the end of the season.
However, Arbeloa says no one is eager to see Carvajal back to his best anymore.
“I speak to Carvajal every week. I see him getting closer to his best form,” Madrid coach Arbeloa told reporters ahead of Saturday’s LaLiga clash with Real Sociedad.
‘He will have to prove it by playing, and he will do that soon.
“He has trained for another week and the person most interested in seeing him at his best is obviously me.”
Madrid are just one point behind Barcelona at the top of LaLiga, and with the Blaugrana not playing until Monday, Los Blancos have the chance to climb top of the table.
Arbeloa has now been in the job for a month since replacing Xabi Alonso, but has been keen to focus solely on what lies ahead for Madrid, rather than the bigger picture.
“I don’t think about anything other than tomorrow’s match,” he said.
“There’s always room for improvement and development. That’s what I’m focused on. I’m happy with how we trained this week and hopefully tomorrow’s match will be better than the last one, but not as bad as the one after.”
@DaniCarvajal92 pic.twitter.com/OYvxMUfS1i
— Real Madrid CF (@realmadriden) February 13, 2026
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Real Madrid – Kylian Mbappe
Arbeloa confirmed that Mbappe should be fit to play at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Mbappé was involved in five goals in three LaLiga games against La Real (four goals and one assist) and only played a direct role in more goals in the league against Villarreal (six, five goals and one assist in four games).
Real Sociedad – Carlos Soler
Soler has scored five goals in 12 LaLiga games against Madrid, making him his favorite opponent to score against in the competition.
He is also one of only three players to have scored a hat-trick against Madrid in LaLiga since the 2020/21 season (in November 2020 with Valencia), alongside Valentin Castellanos and Alexander Sorloth.
MATCH PREDICTION: REAL MADRID WIN
After beating Barcelona (2-1) in January, Pellegrino Matarazzo could become only the third Real Sociedad manager to win his first LaLiga match against both Barca and Madrid, after Harry Lowe in 1931 and Javier Exposito in 1991.
Madrid scored seven goals from their defenders in LaLiga 2025/26, the most of any team so far this season (tied with Espanyol).
La Real, on the other hand, have conceded at least one goal in each of their last seventeen LaLiga games (22 goals conceded), the longest current streak of any team in the competition and their longest in the top flight since 2011 (also 17 games, 33 goals conceded).
But they are unbeaten in their last seven LaLiga games (W4 D3) and are looking to go eight or more without defeat in the league for the first time since November 2021, a run of 13 games (W8 D5) under Imanol Alguacil.
Madrid have won their last seven games in LaLiga, scoring exactly two goals in six of those matches, their longest winning streak in a single league match since May 2024 (W9).
Los Blancos have won their last five matches against La Real in LaLiga, one win more than in their previous ten meetings with them in the league (W4 D3 L3).
OPTA CHANCE OF WINNING
Real Madrid – 64.9%
Draw – 18.6%
Real Sociedad – 16.5%
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