Jude Bellingham provides injury update before El Clasico

Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham has reassured his supporters who are worried by an injury sustained throughout the week that he will play in Saturday’s first Clasico against Barcelona.

Bellingham led his new team in goals after scoring 11 goals in 12 games across all competitions, exceeding expectations in some way after his lucrative summer transfer from Borussia Dortmund. Throughout that period, he has also recorded three assists. 

Although the England player scored again in Tuesday’s 2-1 Champions League victory against Braga, maintaining Madrid’s perfect group stage record for this season, he sustained an injury in Portugal that raised concerns that he would miss the trip to Catalonia. Carlo Ancelotti, the manager of Madrid, immediately stated that there was no cause for alarm.

Ancelotti said, “Jude is okay. His adductors are a bit charged because the pitch is a bit soft. But nothing special. He will recover. He is okay, a bit tired like everybody else. But that’s normal.”

Bellingham provided a similar statement on Thursday, despite not having resumed training yet. As he told RTVE, “I’ll be at the Clasico.”

When it comes to the crucial match against Barcelona—just one point separates them at the top of La Liga—the Madrid team is hopeful he will be well and available to play. Bellingham has been training with physiotherapists inside at Valdebebas while Madrid, in a sense, wraps him up in cotton wool before the greatest match of the 2023–2024 season. His return to training is scheduled for this Friday, and Ancelotti will have him available for Saturday’s match.