Real Madrid injury news: Jude Bellingham set for shoulder surgery in early blow for Xabi Alonso

Real Madrid midfielder Jude Belligham will undergo surgery this week to rectify a shoulder problem he has been playing with over the past couple of seasons.

News initially broke towards the end of last season that Bellingham was going to go under the knife during the summer, but it would be left until after the Club World Cup, which Real believed they had a strong chance of winning.

Bellingham played all six games at the tournament in the USA, as Los Blancos reached the semi-finals, but were knocked out by European champions Paris Saint-Germain, losing 4-0 in New Jersey.

The 22-year-old scored in the 3-0 group stage win over Pachuca, and set up Vinicius Junior for their opening goal against Red Bull Salzburg, but Bellingham’s impact during the knockout stages was limited.

That will be the last time the Real faithful will see the number five in action for a few months though, as he will now be sidelined for a significant period of time.

Bellingham to be left debilitated for at least a month

The surgery required on Bellingham’s left shoulder will keep the England midfielder sidelined until October at least, according to SPORT.

Firstly, Bellingham will be practically debilitated in the immediate aftermath of the surgery, before he will be eased back into first-team action following the start of the campaign.

Real Madrid’s plan to wait until after the Club World Cup could impact them further next season, as they have also had to grant Bellingham some time off after a long season, pushing the recovery date back.

That may see the player miss Xabi Alonso's first eight league games in charge of Los Blancos, and it will also rule him out of the first few matches in the Champions League next season.

It is a blow for Thomas Tuchel and England too, because it will see him miss their must-win qualifier against Serbia in September, and it could possibly rule him out of October’s fixtures too.

Bellingham complained of discomfort due to shoulder issue

During the Club World Cup, Bellingham spoke out about the problems he has had with his shoulder over the past couple of years.

“I was fed up playing with the sling, I’m losing a lot of weight from sweating so I need to have surgery after the tournament.” Bellingham stated.

“I’ve been waiting a while and my patience is running out, but the physios and doctors have been incredible, and I want to feel free.”

Playing with it for so long, Bellingham has claimed he no longer feels much pain, but he still had to take precautions to avoid aggravating the issue, such as wearing a sling, and avoiding close contact with opponents where possible.

If the initial prognosis is correct, Bellingham may make his return when Real travel across Madrid to face Getafe in the middle of October, which comes one week before the first El Clasico of the season at home to Barcelona.

Written by
Andrew Delaney