Uruguay national team coach Marcelo Bielsa has decided to exclude Real Madrid star Fede Valverde from his country’s squad during the current international break, according to Cadena Cope.
Valverde has been in a bit of a rut recently, having completely rejected the idea of playing at right-back. He then sat on the bench, and there were rumors of disagreements between him and coach Xabi Alonso.
However, Valverde remains one of Real Madrid’s most important players, and Alonso has confirmed that their relationship is good and that he understands the player’s wishes. He played normally in the final match before the international break, a 3-1 win over Villarreal.
Valverde is not suffering from any injury, but Bielsa’s decision not to include him in the squad stems from his desire to rest the player amid the busy season and the fact that Uruguay will not be playing important matches during this break.
Uruguay will play Uzbekistan and the Dominican Republic in friendlies as Bielsa’s squad prepares for the 2026 World Cup after securing qualification from South America.
Valverde isn’t the first player Bielsa has decided to rest. He also rested Barcelona center-back Ronald Araujo, a move widely praised on social media, given that all players suffer from fatigue, exacerbated by long periods of travel between Europe and South America.
