Jude Bellingham’s absence explained by Carlo Ancelotti

Real Madrid are looking to bounce back from a poor run of form in LaLiga when they take on city rivals Atlético Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Los Blancos are the reigning European and Spanish champions but they have one only one of their last five LaLiga games and are without a number of key players for the visit of Atléti. Head coach Carlo Ancelotti is expected to be without Federico Valverde and Dani Ceballos due to injury, but the loss of Jude Bellingham is the most high-profile of the confirmed absences.

“I don’t think it’s going to change the way we play,” Ancelotti said on Monday, when asked how the team would play without Bellingham at the point of the midfield. “I don’t think it’s going to change much. We have to keep in mind that the players who have rested could have the opportunity tomorrow: Asencio, Camavinga… We have to look at these kinds of things and nothing more.”

Why isn’t Jude Bellingham playing for Real Madrid?

For all Madrid’s injury problems this year, the Englishman’s absence is simply a disciplinary issue. Bellingham is suspended due to yellow card accumulation, having picked up his third booking of this year’s tournament in last month’s win over Manchester City.

Bellingham will serve a one-game ban, meaning that he is free to return for the second leg at the Metropolitano. Nevertheless his absence will be a major loss for Madrid as they look to secure another European win against their closest geographical rivals.

Yellow cards in the Champions League are cleared after the quarter-finals but Madrid have a number of players who could easily pick up their third booking before that point. Eduardo Camavinga, Luka Modric, Aurélien Tchouaméni and Endrick have each received two yellow cards for Los Blancos, meaning that a single mistimed challenge on Tuesday could rule them out of the crucial second leg against Atlético.

Get your game on! Whether you’re into NFL touchdowns, NBA buzzer-beaters, world-class soccer goals, or MLB home runs, our app has it all.

Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more – plus, stay updated on the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.