Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham is expected to be sidelined for up to 12 weeks after undergoing surgery on a persistent shoulder injury, the club confirmed on Wednesday.
In an official statement, the Spanish giants announced: “Our player Jude Bellingham has undergone successful surgery for a recurrent left shoulder dislocation. Bellingham will now begin a period of rehabilitation prior to his return to recovery work.”
While the club did not provide a specific recovery timeline, reports from Spanish media suggest the 22-year-old could be out of action until late October.
Bellingham first suffered the injury during a La Liga clash in November 2023 and has since been playing with a shoulder brace to manage the condition.
However, after months of discomfort, he opted to delay surgery until after Real Madrid’s campaign in the FIFA Club World Cup, where Xabi Alonso’s side reached the semi-finals.
Speaking during the tournament, Bellingham expressed his frustration with the situation: “I’ve got to the point where I’m fed up with the brace, and having to tug on it and having (other) players tug on it, and it rearranging all the time.”
The England international is now expected to miss several key fixtures, including the La Liga derby against Atletico Madrid in late September and Real Madrid’s opening two UEFA Champions League group matches.
He will also be unavailable for England’s upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Andorra and Serbia, scheduled for September 6 and 9 respectively.
Bellingham is likely to return in time for the season’s first El Clasico, when Madrid host Barcelona in late October.