So Álvaro Arbeloa has gone on record saying Carlo Ancelotti didn't give Vinícius Júnior "much rest" and now he's a doubt for the Mallorca game. The man is being assessed. ASSESSED. Like he's a second-hand car with questionable mileage. 💀

And honestly? This is cinema. Because football has an absolutely wild history of clubs loving their best players SO much that they quite literally break them. The reward for being incredible is apparently being played until your legs fall off. No caption needed.

So here it is. The All-Time XI of players who were run into the ground by the clubs that were supposed to protect them. Formation: 4-3-3 because we're going all out attack, just like the managers who caused this mess.

GK: Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich)

This man played through so many knocks for Bayern that his leg eventually just said "nah, I'm done" and snapped. Kept getting rushed back, kept playing every game like Bayern literally didn't have a backup. They did. They just didn't believe in him. Neuer's skeleton was held together by vibes and Thomas Müller's encouragement by the end. 😭

RB: Dani Alves (Barcelona, 2008-2016)

Played approximately 47,000 games on that right flank. Pep, Tito, Tata, Luis Enrique. Didn't matter who was in charge, the plan was always "give it to Dani and let him sprint." His lungs should be in a museum.

CB: Vincent Kompany (Manchester City)

City kept playing Kompany knowing full well his calves were made of tissue paper. Every time he accelerated it was a coin flip between a goal-saving tackle and six weeks on the treatment table. They couldn't quit him. He couldn't quit them. Toxic. 💀

CB: Raphaël Varane (Manchester United)

Real Madrid used every drop of this man's prime and then United bought what was left. Then United played him every week too. Nobody in this man's career ever thought "maybe give him a Tuesday off." Rest in peace to those hamstrings.

LB: Andrew Robertson (Liverpool)

Klopp's gegenpressing required Robertson to cover roughly the same distance as a marathon every single week. For YEARS. The man was basically a human shuttle run experiment. Science will study his ankles one day. 🔥

CM: N'Golo Kanté (Chelsea)

Every Chelsea manager played Kanté until he physically could not run anymore. Conte, Sarri, Lampard, Tuchel, Pochettino. Five different tactical systems, one constant: let Kanté cover every blade of grass. His body eventually filed for a restraining order. ⚽

CM: Steven Gerrard (Liverpool)

Liverpool literally could not function without Gerrard for 17 years and the evidence was that every time he played through injury, they still started him. Brendan Rodgers was playing this man in every position except goalkeeper by the end.

CM: Vinícius Júnior (Real Madrid) 🆕

The newest member of the squad. Arbeloa has literally told you Ancelotti didn't rest him. Viní is 25 and already being "assessed" like he's applying for a mortgage. Welcome to the XI, king. 😭

RW: Lionel Messi (Barcelona, 2004-2021)

Barcelona played Messi in approximately 98% of every competitive match for nearly two decades. His reward? They couldn't afford to keep him. The GOAT was milked dry. Literally. 🐐

ST: Thierry Henry (Arsenal)

Wenger played Henry every single game like he was scared Arsenal would fold if Henry sat down for five minutes. He was probably right, to be fair. But still. The man needed a NAP.

LW: Eden Hazard (Chelsea)

This is the saddest one. Chelsea let defenders kick lumps out of Hazard for seven years, barely protected him, and then sold the bruised remains to Real Madrid for £130m. Madrid then wondered why he couldn't run. The memes write themselves. 💀

Manager: Carlo Ancelotti

Obviously. The man who, according to his own former player, didn't rest Vinícius. Don Carlo runs his favourites like a kid who just discovered unlimited substitutions don't exist in real life. He loves you to death. Literally.

Rest your stars, people. Or at least let them sit down occasionally. This has been a public service announcement. ⚽🔥