Bellingham’s injury recovery takes an unexpected turn

When Bellingham suffered an injury back on August 23, it initially seemed like a minor setback. At the time, only two players were frequenting the injury room: Alaba and Camavinga.

Jude’s injury dug deeper into Ancelotti’s midfield mini-crisis, though there was still room to manoeuvre. However, the past week has been disastrous: injuries to Ceballos, Mendy, Tchouaméni, and Militão, along with a scare involving Güler, have left Ancelotti with just 14 available players for Saturday’s LaLiga match against Real Sociedad at Anoeta...

As Real Madrid plough through this crisis, now elevated from ‘mini’ to ‘fully blown’, Bellingham’s recovery offers a glimmer of hope. The Englishman is recovering well, and his participation against Real Sociedad is, amazingly, not entirely ruled out. While playing against Real Sociedad would mark only 22 days since his injury, a rather optimistic scenario, given the lack of available players, Jude is pushing to at least make the squad and travel to San Sebastián. A similar situation occurred last season, when he traveled with the team despite suffering from gastroenteritis, although he did not play (with the league title nearly secured).

Real Madrid squad update:

Bellingham isn’t the only player in doubt. Ancelotti has concerns about four others for the match against Real Sociedad: Arda Güler, Mendy, Tchouaméni, and Militão. Meanwhile, Ceballos, Camavinga, and Alaba are confirmed to miss out on the tie in northern Spain. Here’s an update on each player’s condition:

Arda Güler: The youngster was subbed off in the 90th minute of Turkey’s match against Wales with a knock to his left leg and left the field with ice and a bandage. Fortunately, it was just a scare, and Güler is expected to play tonight against Iceland.

Mendy: The full-back left France’s training camp on Monday due to muscle overload in his right tibia. The club have downplayed the severity of this issue as Mendy has suffered from similar issues on previous occasions. He is expected to be fit for the match at Anoeta.

Tchouaméni: The midfielder was released from the French squad on Monday due to a left foot injury. His status remains uncertain and will be evaluated up until the last minute before the match.

Militão: After undergoing tests on Sunday, Militao’s injury turned out to be less severe than initially feared. He has a muscle overload in the rectus femoris of his right leg and remains a possibility for Saturday’s game.

Camavinga: The midfielder suffered a sprained medial collateral ligament in his left knee after a collision with Tchouaméni before the Super Cup. He is expected to return in early October.

Ceballos: Ceballos sustained a sprained right ankle in the last match against Betis. He will be out for 6–8 weeks, with a return expected in some time in the second half of October.

Alaba: The Austrian defender is still recovering from the anterior cruciate ligament rupture in his left knee, which he suffered last December. His return is expected around November or December, but the timeline remains uncertain.