Alvaro Arbeloa reserved praise for Real Madrid winger Vinicius Junior after their commanding 4-1 win over Real Sociedad at Santiago Bernabeu.

Vinicius marked his LaLiga return with a brace, helping Real Madrid go two points clear at the top of the table. The 25-year-old sat out Los Blancos’ last league outing – a 2-0 win against Valencia – due to accumulation of yellow cards.

Gonzalo Garcia opened the scoring after five minutes, but Mikel Oyarzabal levelled for Sociedad from the spot in the 27th minute following a foul inside the area.

Parity lasted only four minutes as Real Madrid scored a penalty of their own through Vinicius. Just after the half-hour mark, Federico Valverde gave the hosts a two-goal lead cushion with a powerful strike.

Vinicius completed his brace again from the spot three minutes after the restart, taking his goal tally this season to 10 and sealing all three points for his side.

Speaking after the match, Arbeloa waxed lyrical about Vinicius, highlighting his impact in games and stating that he is ‘lucky’ to have the him in his team.

He said:

“I have been seeing a great Vini Jr. for a month now, not just in this match. He has been delivering high-level performances since I arrived, being decisive, today as well, and scoring goals and providing assists on other days. He is a player who goes beyond numbers because of how he can influence matches, the number of players he attracts, how he impacts opposing defenses and teams. He is one of the best in the world, and it is a privilege to coach him. He is a fantastic guy with a big heart. He is a great teammate, a great player, and I am lucky to have him with me.”

Vinicius now has 21 goal involvements for Real Madrid across all competitions this season.

Arbeloa provides Kylian Mbappe injury update after Real Madrid’s emphatic win over Real Sociedad

Kylian Mbappe was an unused substitute during Saturday’s league match, as he has been dealing with a knee issue. Arbeloa confirmed on Friday that the Frenchman was able to play against Sociedad but did not ultimately use him.

In the post-match press conference, Arbeloa revealed Mbappe is fine, noting that he chose not to risk the forward as he is expected to feature against Benfica in the Champions League on Tuesday.

“He is doing very well. Obviously, he has been dealing with these minor knee issues for quite some time this season. He is making a great effort every time he steps onto the field, and we have decided not to take risks so that he will be ready to start the match on Tuesday. That will be the case,” Arbeloa said.

Mbappe leads the scoring chart in the UCL, with 13 goals to his name.