Will Jude Bellingham play for England or will he remain in Madrid?

“He is going to be assessed, but if he hasn’t played today then he can’t with England”. Carlo Ancelotti was clear when asked about Jude Bellingham playing for England following Real Madrid’s goal-fest against Valencia in LaLiga.

Now called up by Gareth Southgate for England as they prepare to face Malta and North Macedonia, Bellingham’s shoulder injury was bad enough to keep him out of the game against Valencia which he watched from the stands with his mother.

A dislocated shoulder was the diagnosis after a bad fall against Rayo Vallecano, and fortunately his recovery has gone swimmingly. The pain is light, but he was not feeling ready to play against the LaLiga side in Los Blancos’ latest game. He did not feature, despite being on the bench, against Braga in the Champions League, which Madrid won 3-0.

Ancelotti gives Bellingham update

Neither the club nor the player decided that rushing things was to be the solution and as such he was allowed to rest with no qualms from any corner of the club. This is exactly what Madrid hope happens with the England National Team during their upcoming fixtures.

The club understand that Bellingham must be present at St. George’s Park, the England training camp that is just 25km from Stourbridge, where Jude was moulded as a player and a man. While he is in England, the midfielder will be assessed by national team doctors; having been called up by Southgate, it is his obligation to attend the call-up, but Madrid expect it simply to be a flying visit to his home country.

Bellingham has until Monday to make it to the training camp from where he will be checked by medical staff to confirm the evidence that he is as of yet unable to play. This is Real Madrid’s plan, and the team hope their top scorer (13 goals) can be back to their training ground, Valdebebas, as soon as possible. “He has to do specific work over the next few weeks to strengthen his shoulder. He’ll be able to play after the international break”, said Ancelotti.

When will Jude Bellingham be fit to play for Real Madrid?

A dislocated shoulder can be problematic if not treated with caution and in the Bernabéu offices it is agreed that risks will not be taken with their player. The games against Malta and North Macedonia, from an English perspective, are not tough ties and should not cause much of an issue in terms of the result and qualification.

The objective for Real Madrid is to have him back and 100% for the game against Cádiz on the 26th. After that, they have a key UEFA Champions League game against Napoli, in a clash that can see Madrid potentially seal top spot in the Group C standings.