Jude Bellingham Injury: Progress, Potential Return Date for Real Madrid Midfielder

The England international suffered a hamstring injury in Real Madrid’s 2–1 win over Rayo Vallecano.

Jude Bellingham is set for a period on the sidelines. | Federico Titone/SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty Images

An early injury protected Jude Bellingham from the wrath of Madridistas on Sunday afternoon, as the Santiago Bernabéu faithful once again let their discontent be known to some of Real Madrid’s superstars.

Álvaro Arbeloa’s side entered their latest La Liga bout off the back of a 4–2 defeat to Benfica on Wednesday night, a result that means they’ll now face off against José Mourinho’s side over two legs with a spot in the Champions League round of 16 at stake.

A Mourinho disciple, Arbeloa has so far operated in contrast to his former manager. While Mourinho was willing to ruffle the feathers of Madrid’s star names during his three-season reign, Arbeloa, after Xabi Alonso’s brief tenure, has been all too willing to indulge them.

The results have thus been unconvincing, and the new manager will now have to adjust to the loss of Bellingham. The injury sustained by the England international against Rayo Vallecano is poised to keep him out of action for the coming weeks.

---

What Injury Does Bellingham Have?

Bellingham medical report.

— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) February 1, 2026

Bellingham had almost latched onto a pass behind Rayo’s defence when he felt his left hamstring go. The midfielder clutched the back of his leg and collapsed to the turf, brushing away tears as his teammates consoled him.

Providing more information, Real Madrid said Bellingham “has been diagnosed with an injury to the semitendinosus muscle in his left leg.”

The club confirmed that the full extent of Bellingham’s injury has not yet been revealed. Arbeloa, who labelled the Englishman as a “cornerstone of Real Madrid’s future” last week, said his absence would be a “significant loss” for Los Blancos, who are just a point adrift of La Liga champions and current leaders Barcelona at the top of the table.

---

When Will Bellingham Return From Injury?

Bellingham was able to walk off under his own power. | Dennis Agyeman/Europa Press/Getty Images

Bellingham‘s return date will depend on the severity of his hamstring injury. A mild strain or Grade 1 injury could see him come back in just a couple of weeks, but anything more severe will keep him sidelined for at least a month. Unfortunately, that appears to be the case here.

A Grade 2 injury could sideline Bellingham for as long as eight weeks, while a Grade 3 injury would require surgery and thrust his World Cup into doubt. A complete rupture takes several months to recover from.

The early indications suggest Bellingham hasn’t suffered the worst of the worst, easing England supporters’ fears. Still, Madrid are poised to be without their talismanic midfielder for much, if not all, of February.

---