A group of Real Madrid players in white uniforms appears in the background while a man in a dark jersey is in the foreground touching his forehead, all set against an edited background that includes medical staff and the club’s crest.
Xabi Alonso loses a very important footballer due to medical reasons | Camara Enrique Sanz
FIRST TEAM

Confirmed: farewell to Madrid and finally undergoes surgery, Xabi Alonso has yet another problem

The player will not be available for Tolosa's manager for a considerable amount of time

by

Enrique Sanz

The Club World Cup final has ushered in a lengthy period of reflection across nearly all levels of Real Madrid. While the members of Santiago Bernabéu locker room have left for vacation, the offices at Valdebebas are continuing with the sports planning for the upcoming season.

Those conversations, with the signing of Álvaro Carreras as the latest notable event to date, are being held in sync with the data and impressions managed by the white technical staff. In fact, the coaches led by Xabi Alonso are already working on the configuration of the first team squad for the start of the 25/26 season, which will begin on August 19 against Osasuna.

Two players compete for the ball during a match, one wearing a blue uniform and the other wearing a white uniform.
Jude Bellingham fighting for a ball with João Cancelo during the Club World Cup | Real Madrid Confidencial

One of the most difficult decisions that has been made recently involves one of the main starters of the white first team: Jude Bellingham. The English "5" has experienced a notable drop in performance over the past few months of the 24/25 season, a decline that could well be explained by the poor overall dynamic.

From the top of the white organization, they also believe that this decline could also be explained by the injury he has been dealing with for more than a year, focused on his left shoulder. The Madrid footballer injured that joint in November 2023, during a match against Rayo Vallecano at Santiago Bernabéu. Everything pointed to the fact that he would undergo surgery in the summer of 2024, but the European Championship changed those plans.

We'll see what happens

The 24/25 campaign has highlighted that Jude Bellingham can't continue like this. While it's true that his particular brace on his left shoulder has allowed him to play up to the Club World Cup, everyone in the capital of Spain agrees. He must have surgery now that the competition organized by FIFA has ended: he'll undergo surgery today, Wednesday, July 16, to put an end to an injury that lasted too long.

This surgery, along with the three months of recovery time, solves Jude Bellingham's problem. But at the same time, it adds another one for Xabi Alonso, coach of the white first team, who has made the English "5" one of his main starters in the Club World Cup.

Soccer player on the field holding a blue jersey with a tired expression and wearing a tight-fitting black and white sports outfit
Jude Bellingham, after a match with Real Madrid, shows the bandages on his shoulder | Real Madrid Confidencial

There are quite a few options that the Basque coach has to reconfigure the midfield. The first "experiments" carried out during the tournament held in the United States haven't been entirely conclusive... although Xabi Alonso is already clear that Arda Güler, Aurélien Tchouaméni, and Fede Valverde are practically untouchable in their respective positions.

The absence of Jude Bellingham is synchronized with the arrival of Franco Mastantuono, a young Argentine attacking midfielder who has come from River Plate. The current "30" from River can also play on the right wing, a position he should get used to when Jude Bellingham is fully recovered. His left shoulder injury, about to disappear, could mark a turning point in his career at Real Madrid.

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