Real Madrid – midfielder Jude Bellingham has successfully undergone surgery to restore a recurring dislocation in his left shoulder – a nagging injury that he has been fighting since November 2023, almost 20 months ago.
The procedure was carried out on Wednesday in a hospital in London by Drs. Manuel Leyes and Andrew Wallace, under the supervision of the Real Madrid medical team. According to the official statement from the club, Bellingham will now start with a rehabilitation period before the repair work is resumed. It will be estimated that he will be sidelined for a period of 10 and 12 weeks. Jude will miss the first 10 games of the new season, which will start on August 17.
Bellingham spent 20 months suffering in silence
The decision to operate was not suddenly taken – it had been in the making for weeks. The midfielder of Real Madrid had long planned to go under the knife after the conclusion of the recent club World Cup, hoping to end a very painful test of 20 months.
Despite the pain, Bellingham continued to play, with a large protective bracket in every match. But after Madrid's victory on June 22 at Pachuca, he made it clear that time had come. “I had surgery planned for after the tournament,” he said. “I have waited a long time and my patience is getting up. The doctors and physios have been incredible and help me every game. But I just want to feel free again”.
Surgery comes after an extraordinary piece of resilience. The star of Real Madrid and England played 100 games – 86 for Madrid and 14 for the national team – while fighting the pain barrier. He postponed the procedure for almost two years to prevent him from disturbed the full diagrams of his club and country, including back-to-back summers with Little Rest: the Euro 2024 final with England last year and the club World Cup Semifinals with Madrid in June.
Jude Bellingham's long battle with his shoulder injury traces back until November 5, 2023, during a La Liga collision against Rayo Vallecano in the Santiago Bernabéu. Driving high with 13 goals in his first 13 games for Real Madrid, the English midfielder was in peak shape – until a routine breast control in the game led to a sudden fall and a sharp “clack” that meant a dislocation in his left shoulder2.
Medical staff has reset the joint on the spot, but the damage has been caused. Bellingham missed two games for Madrid and two international competitions that month.
Bellingham will probably miss the Madrid Derby on September 28
The shoulder operation of Bellingham will be on September 28 on September 28 on September 28 on September 28 on September 28 in the Metropolitano in the Metropolitano in the Metropolitano in the Metropolitano in the metropolitico. With the La Liga opener from Real Madrid just 34 days away, the absence of the English midfielder looms at the start of the season.
Yet Xabi Alonso remains unwavering in his conviction that Bellingham will be a cornerstone of the team as soon as he returns. “He is a special player who will be fundamental,” the coach explained during his official unveiling. That sentiment only became stronger during the World Cup campaign from Madrid in the United States, where Alonso Bellingham's midfield control praised: “I love what he does in the middle of the field and how he is involved in every game. He has incredible quality. We always try to stay close to him – he has a huge ambition.”
Which games will Bellingham miss?
Whatever way you look at it, Jude will be absent, just when Madrid tries to get the new campaign to the best possible start. At club level he will miss at least six to seven games, including Laliga and Champions League matches. With the National Team, he will be outside both qualifications of the World Cup from 2026 on 6 September and Serbia in Belgrade three days later.
In the best scenario there is a slender chance that he could be back in time for the Madrid Derby on September 28, which falls on the back of a busy week that also includes a midweek trip to Levante.
With regard to the worst-case scenario, the return of Jude can be postponed until after the October international break, which pushes his comeback to mid-October and rules him from the eight LA Liga matches and two Champions League group phase matches.
The silver lining? It should be suitable for El Clásico in the Bernabéu, planned for 25-26 October.
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