Real Madrid is reportedly puzzled and annoyed by England’s management of Jude Bellingham during the recent international break. Despite recovering from a hamstring injury sustained in early February, Bellingham did not feature in either of England’s two matches, a decision Real Madrid finds hard to comprehend.
After six weeks on the sidelines, Bellingham made a brief return before the international break, and Real Madrid had hoped his call-up to the national squad would allow him to regain crucial match sharpness. They initially had reservations about his inclusion given his recovery but then anticipated he would get valuable playing minutes.
However, England’s decision to keep him on the bench means Bellingham returns to Madrid “cold,” lacking the essential game time necessary to be fully prepared for Real Madrid’s upcoming vital fixtures, including the Champions League quarter-final against Bayern Munich.
Club officials expressed that if Bellingham was not going to play, they would have much preferred him to remain at Valdebebas to continue his rehabilitation and training. His absence from England’s games and subsequent late return means Real Madrid has only a couple of days to work with him before their match against Mallorca this Saturday.
Consequently, it is considered unlikely that Bellingham will start against Mallorca. While he may still contribute from the bench, his spot in the starting eleven, especially with Fede Valverde suspended, is more likely to be filled by players like Eduardo Camavinga or Franco Mastantuono.
