Jude Bellingham is currently no less important to the England national team than he is to Real Madrid, who have recently done without their difference-maker. Now the “Three Lions” have also come to their senses
Not many opponents have been able to stop Jude Bellingham in recent weeks and months, but his own body has. In the 0-0 league draw against Rayo Vallecano a week and a half ago, Real Madrid’s difference player fell painfully on his shoulder in the first half, but then played through.
That turned out to be counterproductive and the shoulder ligament a cause for concern. In the Champions League match against Braga (3:0), when the Whites had already secured a place in the last 16, coach Carlo Ancelotti left the 20-year-old Englishman on the bench, and last Saturday in the league match against Valencia (5:1) he was not even able to make the squad for precautionary reasons.
England face Malta and North Macedonia
Real Madrid want to let their breakthrough player, whose national team naturally has other interests, recover in peace. “Three Lions coach Gareth Southgate has named the attacking midfielder for the upcoming European Championship qualifiers against Malta (Friday, 8.45pm) and North Macedonia (Monday, 8.45pm).
Ancelotti only liked this to a limited extent, which is self-explanatory. “If he didn’t play today, he can’t play for England. He has to work specifically to strengthen his shoulder and he will do that in the coming weeks,” the Italian was quoted as saying after the Valencia game. “Jude will have a check-up, but I expect him to be back quickly,” Ancelotti hoped.
The English team tried to see whether it might be possible for the key player to make a brief appearance a good six months before the 2024 European Championship in Germany. But on Tuesday afternoon, after the examinations, they relented and announced that Bellingham had left again. Ancelotti will be pleased
