Bellingham’s secret injury revealed: set for months on the sidelines

Jude Bellingham is considering ending his long-running shoulder injury ordeal. According to The Athletic, and confirmed by AS, the English midfielder and his camp are weighing up the option of undergoing surgery on his left shoulder after the Club World Cup. The aim is to finally address the discomfort he’s been dealing with for over a year and a half.

However, the operation would sideline Bellingham for several weeks—or possibly even months—at the start of next season. That lengthy recovery period has been the main reason he has delayed surgery so far. Real Madrid, while leaving the decision to the player, supports the idea of Bellingham finally going under the knife.

The Birmingham native has been playing through pain since November 5, 2023. During a match at the Bernabéu against Rayo Vallecano, he suffered a dislocation in his left shoulder after falling awkwardly while passing the ball to a teammate.

Bellingham’s injury could keep him out for 3 months

Although he missed two weeks, his recovery was far from complete. Since then, Bellingham has continued to play with a bulky bandage for protection—something that has, at times, limited his ability to perform at 100%, with occasional worrying signs.

The surgery could keep him out for up to three months. This extended layoff, combined with a relentless schedule—last summer he had barely a month between the European Championship final and the UEFA Super Cup—has been a major factor in his decision to postpone the operation until now. Having it after the Club World Cup would at least avoid him missing matches in the immediate short term.

LaLiga is set to kick off—pending official confirmation—on the weekend of August 16–17. Depending on Real Madrid’s preseason commitments in the United States, their first league matches could be delayed until the final week of August. But from then on, the calendar becomes unforgiving.

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Madrid faces a packed start to the season, with a flurry of LaLiga fixtures and the opening rounds of the Champions League—all likely without Bellingham. And with the other World Cup—the international one—looming at the end of the campaign, there aren’t many windows left to schedule the surgery more conveniently.

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