Real Madrid fear prolonged Jude Bellingham absence as surgery beckons

Real Madrid will be busy this summer with squad changes and the Club World Cup, but another issue to contend with involved Jude Bellingham. The England international, who will miss this weekend’s final La Liga match of the season against Real Sociedad, is expected to undergo surgery at some stage before the start of the 2025-26 campaign.

Given that Real Madrid are involved in the Club World Cup in the United States, it is expected that any decision on Bellingham’s shoulder surgery will be delayed until after their participation comes to an end. As such, the most likely date for the operation would be mid-July, but if so, there are fears that the 21-year-old would miss a significant portion of the new season.

As reported by Sport, Real Madrid are concerned that Bellingham could be out of action for up to three months. The surgery that he needs on his shoulder is sure to be extensive given that he has been carrying the injury for over 18 months, and as such, a significant lay-off period will probably be needed.

Given that the club believes that the start of new season is the best period for the star midfielder to miss, it would be no surprise to see his surgery happen in July. Within Real Madrid, they understand that Bellingham cannot continue to play with this shoulder surgery, as it is clear having an effect on his performances – which they have been disappointed by.

It remains to be seen how Real Madrid and Bellingham approach the surgery situation. It is unlikely that he will go under the knife before the Club World Cup, so at this stage, everything points to him missing pre-season and the start of the new campaign as a result of having the operation in July.