Jude Bellingham Breaks Silence on Injury—And Real Madrid Must Heed His Message

Los Blancos will be without the 22-year-old for at least one month.

Jude Bellingham is expected to be sidelined for a month. | Federico Titone/SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty Images

Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham spoke out for the first time since suffering a hamstring injury at the weekend with a simple message: “Life goes on.”

The England international shared the three-word statement on social media two days after limping off the pitch in tears against Rayo Vallecano. Bellingham went chasing after the ball in the early stages of the game and immediately went down in visible pain, clutching his hamstring.

Real Madrid later confirmed the No. 10 was diagnosed with a semitendinosus muscle injury in his left leg. Although the club did not state a timeline for this return, reports indicate Bellingham is looking at a month on the sidelines, ruling him out of at least eight matches, including both legs of the Champions League knockout phase playoffs against Benfica.

As Bellingham put it, life indeed will go on for Los Blancos, but the team is facing an uphill battle without their superstar 22-year-old.

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Why Losing Bellingham Is So Detrimental to Real Madrid

Jude Bellingham leaves a sizable hole in Real Madrid’s XI. | Javier Borrego/Europa Press/Getty Images

It is truly impossible to replicate the quality Bellingham brings to the pitch. As soon as he left the game in the 10th minute on Sunday, Real Madrid lost their best playmaker, best midfielder and arguably most clutch player in the blink of an eye.

The most underrated part of Bellingham’s game, though, is his tireless work ethic. The former Borussia Dortmund man is constantly covering ground for his teammates, tracking back to aid his battered backline and pick up the slack from other players in white uninterested in pitching in defensively.

In Los Blancos’ poor 4–2 defeat to Benfica in the league phase finale, Bellingham made four tackles, just one less than the five combined by all four players in Álvaro Arbeloa’s backline. The Englishman also covered 6.5 miles in his 90 minutes on the pitch, the most by any player on Real Madrid.

Prior to the game, Arbeloa even admitted he told Bellingham to “stop running” so much, an eerie sentiment considering the No. 10 suffered his injury chasing after the ball just days later.

The question now remains: Who will step up in Bellingham’s absence to keep Real Madrid’s Champions League and La Liga hopes alive?

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How Real Madrid Can Replace the Injured Bellingham

Álvaro Arbeloa must get by without Jude Bellingham for the time being. | Jean Catuffe/Getty Images

There is no player in Arbeloa’s squad that can replace the all-around game Bellingham brings to the pitch, but there is one who can take over his No. 10 role: Arda Güler. After all, the 20-year-old already did so for the first month of the campaign, when his fellow attacking midfielder was recovering from shoulder surgery.

Güler was at his best earlier in 2025–26 before Bellingham returned to full match fitness. The Türkiye international recorded seven goal contributions in his first nine appearances this season, and then saw his minutes dwindle after a few poor performances playing alongside Bellingham.

Now, Güler will once again be the sole player pulling the strings of Real Madrid’s attack for the next month. Returning to such a role will be a sigh of relief for the young talent, who often struggles under pressure in a deeper position, unable to control or stabilize a game.

Arbeloa will need the best out of Güler if Los Blancos want to survive this spell without Bellingham. He will also look to Eduardo Camavinga and potential Federico Valverde—once Trent Alexander-Arnold returns—to carry much of the defensive burdens the England international was shouldering.

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