Jude Bellingham went down during the comeback win over RCD Espanyol.
Saturday night’s dramatic 4-1 victory over Espanyol should have given Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti plenty of reasons to be optimistic, but the Italian looked concerned after the final whistle regarding one moment in particular.
That came when midfielder Jude Bellingham was brought down in a fair tackle on the counter-attack, hitting the ground and landing on his right shoulder, which has caused him problems for the last 12 months since he first injured it in November 2023.
“Bellingham has always played with a shoulder guard,” Ancelotti explained in his post-match press conference. “A month ago he took it off, because it was fine, but today the problem is back.”
The coach went on to add that, “tonight it resolved itself very well; we’ll see how he is tomorrow. I think it won’t be a problem, although he has to take care of himself, obviously.”
Defensa Central report that Bellingham too was concerned, telling the team’s medical staff, “I felt it pop out, I feared the worst” as they tended to him on the field of play. However, the English international continued and played until the 86th minute, with a crucial role in the team’s first goal.
His good form since returning to action has shown the value he has for this Real Madrid team, and nobody is keen to lose him again due to a shoulder problem.
What is Jude Bellingham’s shoulder injury?
Bellingham has struggled with his shoulder since falling awkwardly in a match against Rayo Vallecano which ended 0-0 in early November 2023. He initially dislocated his shoulder, which is where the shoulder pops out of its socket, and has struggled since.
This is not uncommon as a dislocation can lead to further dislocations. Surgery is available to help remedy this, but the tight turnaround in the schedule with the European Championships in Germany meant that Bellingham opted against that route to try to recover from the injury.
Last season, he donned a special protective strapping which he wore for each and every match he played. This season, he had stopped wearing the strapping, but it is almost certain that he will start to wear it again following this incident at the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu.
“The shoulder is the same as last year. It is recovered, although he must have the protection, to be more secure,” coach Carlo Ancelotti said in a pre-match press conference before Tuesday night’s fixture against Alavés.
There had been speculation that the coach could rest him for upcoming fixtures in order to avoid any potential fitness issues which could rule him out for a longer period. Despite this scare, it seems that the midfielder will be available for Real Madrid to feature in that game and in the future. He has already overcome a muscle injury which has sidelined him for much of the season to date, having missed four La Liga fixtures due to the problem.
Now back in the side, he is finding his place in a new attacking system which incorporates summer arrival Kylian Mbappé as a center-forward. In four appearances this season, Bellingham is yet to score and has registered one assist.
