Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham has suffered a calf injury in training just over two weeks before England begin their Nations League campaign. The 21-year-old was unable to finish a club session on Friday. BBC Sport has contacted Real to establish how long Bellingham is likely to be out for. Reports in Spain suggest he will be unavailable until late September, which would rule him out of Lee Carsley's opening two fixtures as England interim manager. The Three Lions face the Republic of Ireland on 7 September and Finland on 10 September in the Nations League.
In a statement, Real said Bellingham had medical tests on Friday on the problem with his right calf and that his "progress will be monitored". Writing on his social media accounts, Bellingham added: "Nothing I hate more than missing games but trying to see the positive side and maybe my body is telling me it needs a bit more rest after a busy year.
"I'm very frustrated but I’ll be supporting the lads like a fan until I can re-join them again in my best and strongest form." Carsley, 50, was announced as interim manager earlier this month following Gareth Southgate's resignation after Euro 2024. Bellingham scored 23 goals in 42 appearances during his debut season at the Bernabeu last term as Madrid won a La Liga and Champions League double. The former Dortmund midfielder started in last weekend's 1-1 La Liga draw at Mallorca, as well as the Super Cup victory against Atalanta earlier this month. Carsley is set to name his squad for the Nations League fixtures on 29 August. He will be assisted by former England left-back Ashley Cole during his interim spell in charge. Ex-England centre-back Joleon Lescott and the Football Association's head of coaching Tim Dittmer also join Carsley's backroom team.
Bellingham's Absence a Blow to Real Madrid
Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham faces a month on the sidelines after sustaining a muscle injury in his lower right leg. The 21-year-old picked up the issue during training on Friday, with head coach Carlo Ancelotti confirming he had picked up “a knock”. Following further assessment, a club statement said: “Following tests carried out today on our player Jude Bellingham by the Real Madrid medical services, he has been diagnosed with an injury to the plantar muscle of his right leg.”
Bellingham played 87 minutes of Madrid’s 1-1 draw with Mallorca in their La Liga opener before being replaced by Turkey international Arda Guler. The England international has become a key player for Real following his £89m move from Borussia Dortmund last summer. He scored 19 goals and added six assists to help Madrid clinch a record-extending 36th La Liga title. That impressive return saw him voted La Liga’s player of the season in his first year in Spain. The former Birmingham City midfielder also added nine goal contributions in Europe as Madrid won the Champions League for the fifteenth time in their history.
England's Nations League Campaign Affected
The injury is likely to rule Bellingham out of England’s upcoming UEFA Nations League fixtures against the Republic of Ireland on September 7 and Finland on September 10. Madrid continue the defence of their title against Valladolid on Sunday.
Bellingham's Rise to Prominence
Bellingham, an English footballer born in 2003, began his career at Birmingham City, becoming their youngest first-team player. He later moved to Borussia Dortmund in 2020, where he emerged as one of Europe’s top midfield talents. In 2023, Bellingham transferred to Real Madrid, making him one of the most expensive British players. He is also a key player for the England national team, having represented his country in major tournaments like the UEFA European Championship and the FIFA World Cup.
A Month on the Sidelines
Real Madrid have published a medical report on midfielder Jude Bellingham, who will miss around one month with a hamstring injury he picked up during Friday’s training session. After the tests conducted today on our player Jude Bellingham by the Medical Services of Real Madrid, he has been diagnosed with an injury to the plantaris muscle in his right leg. Awaiting further developments.Source: Realmadrid.com The midfielder will be expected to return to the pitch after the next FIFA break. Still, the coaching staff will likely take a cautious approach with this hamstring injury, as these are always problematic early in the season. In the meantime, Arda Güler will likely replace Bellingham in the starting lineup, although Ancelotti could also deploy Luka Modric in that role. Real Madrid are hosting Valladolid and Betis before the FIFA break, so they will be hoping to take care of business while Bellingham recovers from his injury.
A Month-Long Absence Could Disrupt Real Madrid's Plans
This was an unpleasant surprise for Real Madrid and the whole world, as English midfielder Jude Bellingham suffered an injury during Friday's training session and is a doubt for Real Madrid for a while. He had to leave the field hastily so that the club's specialists could evaluate the extent of the problem. Fortunely for them it was not Kylian Mbapp. When asked about what happened, head coach Carlo Ancelotti conveyed calm and assured that they still did not know what was happening to the player. "He was hit and they are evaluating him," said the Italian.
The Merengues conveyed that it would surely be a shock, but it was finally revealed that he is suffering from a muscle injury that will surely make him miss the league debut at the Santiago Bernabu on Sunday against Real Valladolid. In fact, although a complete recovery period was not given, it is estimated that he could be away from competition for close to a month. It is the second loss that Madrid has had at the start of the season, after Camavinga suffered a sprain of the internal collateral ligament in his left knee on the eve of the European Super Cup and preoccupation has increased as the season just started.
Bellingham's Impact on the Pitch
The 21-year-old Bellingham will miss, in addition to this Sunday's match against Valladolid, at least three other League games, against Las Palmas, Betis and Real Sociedad. Due to the initially estimated deadlines, it would be complicated to reach the game against Espanyol but that is the initial target. However, he will not be able to be in Madrid's debut in the Champions League, whose opponent will be known after the draw on Thursday the 29th.
The Impact of Bellingham's Injury on England's Nations League Campaign
Jude Bellingham faces a spell on the sidelines through injury and could miss the start of England’s Nations League campaign. The Real Madrid midfielder has suffered a leg injury and reports in Spain suggest the 21-year-old will not be available until after the international break. A statement from the Spanish club on Friday read: “Following tests carried out today on Jude Bellingham by Real Madrid’s medical team, the player has been diagnosed with an injury to the plantaris muscle in his right leg. His progress will be monitored.” “[Bellingham] got a knock,” coach, Carlo Ancelotti, said in a news conference, earlier on Friday. “We’re evaluating it.” Real host Real Valladolid on Sunday and also have La Liga games against Las Palmas and Real Betis before the international break. England start their Nations League campaign under interim manager Lee Carsley away to the Republic of Ireland on 7 September before hosting Finland at Wembley three days later.
A Blow for Both Club and Country
JUDE BELLINGHAM is set to miss the start of England's Uefa Nations League campaign after being ruled out for a month with injury. The Real Madrid star, 21, was a star of the Three Lions run to the final at the Euros this summer. However, he is now set to miss Lee Carsley's first squad after picking up a plantar fasciitis injury in his right leg in training with the Spanish giants. A club statement said: "Following tests carried out today on our player Jude Bellingham, he has been diagnosed with an injury to the plantar thin muscle of his right leg." Manager Carlo Ancelotti revealed the news after he was asked whether Bellingham would be available for Sunday's LaLiga clash against Real Valladolid. The former Chelsea and Everton boss said: "Bellingham had a blow, he is being assessed," but it has now confirmed that the midfielder would miss the next month of action. Bellingham was a key part of the Whites winning the Champions League and Spanish league title last season. The former Birmingham and Borussia Dortmund star scored 19 goals in a stunning debut season at the Bernabeu. Despite Bellingham's absence, Ancelotti still has an embarrassment of riches at his disposal, with new boy Kylian Mbappe eager to get on the scoresheet after failing to do so in week one. On the performance last week - a drab 1-1 draw at Mallorca - Ancelotti said the team "lacked balance" and said the attacking players needed to work a bit harder. BEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERS He said: "It was a pretty clear game to evaluate, we lacked balance, it's not very complicated. There is a clear solution. With such an attacking team, the forwards have to work a bit harder. We have tried to fix it with a lot of work this week." Bellingham did however, tee up Mbappe to score in the Uefa Super Cup against Atalanta, with Federico Valverde also on target. England embark on a new era following the departure of Gareth Southgate with their first matches coming on September 7 against Ireland and September 10 against Finland.
A Loss That Could Have Significant Implications
The midfielder could be back after the next FIFA break. Real Madrid have published a medical report on midfielder Jude Bellingham, who will miss around one month with a hamstring injury he picked up during Friday’s training session. After the tests conducted today on our player Jude Bellingham by the Medical Services of Real Madrid, he has been diagnosed with an injury to the plantaris muscle in his right leg. Awaiting further developments.Source: Realmadrid.com The midfielder will be expected to return to the pitch after the next FIFA break. Still, the coaching staff will likely take a cautious approach with this hamstring injury, as these are always problematic early in the season. In the meantime, Arda Güler will likely replace Bellingham in the starting lineup, although Ancelotti could also deploy Luka Modric in that role. Real Madrid are hosting Valladolid and Betis before the FIFA break, so they will be hoping to take care of business while Bellingham recovers from his injury.
