Real Madrid Fume at England Over ‘Unnecessary’ Jude Bellingham Decision

The England international has only logged 16 minutes since returning from injury.

Jude Bellingham only recently returned from a serious hamstring injury. | Michael Regan/The FA/Getty Images

England’s decision to keep midfield maestro Jude Bellingham on the bench against Uruguay and Japan has not been “well received” at Real Madrid, a report has revealed.

The 22-year-old, who was previously sidelined with a hamstring injury for seven weeks, was called up to Thomas Tuchel’s 35-player squad for the March international break. Two friendlies were, at least on paper, the perfect time for Bellingham to regain his match fitness ahead of a crucial stretch for Los Blancos.

Except the No. 10 did not play a single minute of the Three Lions’ 1–1 draw with Uruguay or 1–0 defeat to Japan, effectively adding another two weeks to Bellingham’s time out of action.

MARCA report Real Madrid believe the England international “needed” to compete. By keeping him on the bench, Tuchel has “done little” to help the player recover his form and fitness. The club now deems the entire trip “unnecessary.”

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The Clock Is Ticking for Bellingham Ahead of Bayern Munich Clash

Jude Bellingham has only logged 16 minutes in the last nine weeks. | Federico Titone/SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty Images

Now that Bellingham did not feature during the international break—a precautionary measure, according to Tuchel—he only has this weekend’s trip to Mallorca to prepare for the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals against Bayern Munich on Tuesday.

With Federico Valverde suspended for the La Liga bout after seeing red in the Madrid derby, there is a glaring hole in Álvaro Arbeloa’s XI, one that Bellingham could easily fill. But it remains to be seen whether the manager will throw his star midfielder into his starting lineup with such little action under his belt.

The Englishman only mustered a quick 16-minute cameo against Atlético Madrid before the international break, his first and only appearance since he limped off the pitch in tears at the start of February.

Under different circumstances, Bellingham would likely only come off the bench at the weekend to continue building his match fitness, but with Bayern Munich coming to the Bernabéu next week, Real Madrid might not have the luxury of taking their time—especially if they want the midfielder ready to start in the Champions League quarterfinals.

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Real Madrid Otherwise Unscathed After International Break

Kylian Mbappé showed no signs of his knee injury during the international break. | Danielle Parhizkaran/The Boston Globe/Getty Images

Despite their reported displeasure with England’s handling of Bellingham, Real Madrid had plenty to smile about over the last two weeks. Not a single player suffered an injury while on international duty, a rarity for the Spanish giants.

Plus, Éder Militão entered the final stages of his recovery and is in line to at least get called-up for trip to Mallorca this Saturday after four months on the sidelines with a hamstring injury.

Then there’s the impressive performances from Arbeloa’s main men across the globe. Superstar forward Kylian Mbappé looked back to his best, getting on the scoresheet for France in its 2–1 win over Brazil. His partner up top, Vinicius Junior, underwhelmed in the clash, but he made up for it with an electrifying assist in Brazil’s 3–1 victory over Croatia.

Valverde also continued his stellar form, burying a penalty for Uruguay in the dying stages to salvage a 1–1 draw against England. Arda Güler, meanwhile, helped Türkiye survive the World Cup playoffs to punch its ticket to the United States, Canada and Mexico this summer.

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