WHAT HAPPENED?
England international Bellingham dislocated his left shoulder during a meeting with Rayo Vallecano in November 2023, during his debut campaign as another ‘Galactico’ at Santiago Bernabeu.
THE BIGGER PICTURE
The 21-year-old midfielder has been troubled by that ailment ever since, forcing him to play through pain while donning a custom shoulder support. After several months of speculation regarding an operation, Bellingham is preparing to go under the knife.
GettyWHAT BELLINGHAM SAID
He has said while representing Real at the FIFA Club World Cup: “I’ve reached the point where the pain isn’t so bad, but I was sick of playing with the sling. I’m losing a lot of weight from sweating so much, and I’ve decided that I’ll have surgery after the tournament. I’ve been waiting for a long time, and my patience is running out, but the physios and doctors have been incredible. I just want to feel free.”
Next Match
DID YOU KNOW?
According to The Athletic, Bellingham will “likely be sidelined for around 12 weeks while he recovers from the operation and is expected to miss the start of the 2025-26 La Liga season”.
With it possible that Bellingham could be ruled out until the New Year, journalist Alberto Pereiro told Onda Cero: “Between three and four months off. There's no chance of him pushing the deadlines too far. Possibly the entire year 2025. The complete recovery of the shoulder cannot be shortened much. He couldn't wait one more day, as he had terrible pain.”
GettyWHAT NEXT?
Real will be hoping that Bellingham is not forced to sit out several months, but they will not rush his recovery either. News of impending surgery will be welcomed by the England camp, with a talismanic presence in the Three Lions’ squad seemingly set to be fully fit for the 2026 World Cup finals.