Just as Real Madrid looks to transition into a new era under a different manager and prepare for global competition, another troubling twist has emerged. Jude Bellingham, one of the club’s most influential players this season, has been sidelined with a serious injury, casting doubt over his availability for upcoming competitions and the beginning of the next campaign. The news arrives just as Los Blancos prepare for their La Liga season finale against Real Sociedad and prepare to travel to the United States for the FIFA Club World Cup.
While it was already known that Bellingham would miss the final league fixture due to yellow card accumulation—his fifth booking of the season came in a 2-0 win over Sevilla—few expected a deeper issue to develop at such a crucial moment. Now, the Whites must navigate not only a post-Ancelotti transition but also the loss of their talismanic midfielder, possibly for months.
Bellingham has been coping with a lingering shoulder issue for nearly a year. The origin dates back to November 5, 2023, during a match at the Santiago Bernabeu against Rayo Vallecano. After a fall during play, he dislocated his left shoulder. While the initial injury only kept him out for two weeks, the underlying damage never fully healed.
Instead, the 20-year-old Englishman has pushed through the pain, playing much of the season with a protective brace and dealing with regular discomfort. According to The Athletic and Diario AS, the situation has now reached a point where a surgical solution is unavoidable.
“Jude Bellingham is considering ending his long-running shoulder injury ordeal,” The Athletic’s report states.
Club World Cup still on the cards
Despite the ominous tone of recent headlines, Bellingham is expected to play in the FIFA Club World Cup, which kicks off on June 14, 2025 in the United States. Real Madrid, who will be representing UEFA as Champions League winners, plan to have their star midfielder available throughout the tournament.
BBC Sport reports that the player and Real Madrid’s medical team have agreed to postpone the operation until after the tournament, ensuring that he can participate in the Club World Cup before undergoing surgery. “The English midfielder and his camp are weighing up the option of undergoing surgery on his left shoulder after the Club World Cup.”
Once the tournament concludes on July 13, Bellingham is expected to go under the knife immediately. The decision to delay surgery was strategic. The two sides both understood that any earlier procedure would have ruled him out of key fixtures and, potentially, England’s international commitments. Now, however, there’s little choice left.
Up to three months on the sidelines
The post-surgery recovery period could last up to three months, marking the longest injury absence of Bellingham’s career. This would sideline him through the entire preseason and the first six to eight weeks of the 2025-26 La Liga campaign, which is scheduled to start around mid-to-late August.
This means the ex-Bundesliga star could miss La Liga’s early rounds and the opening phase of the UEFA Champions League group stage. For incoming manager Xabi Alonso, who is widely expected to succeed Ancelotti, this is a major blow to his early planning.
Real Madrid is also expected to embark on a preseason tour in the U.S., but Bellingham’s participation in any training sessions will be extremely limited, if not completely ruled out.
