'I want to feel free': Bellingham undergoes surgery 100 games later

Sweat, suffering and sacrifice. The life of a footballer is not always easy. Despite the many millions of euros that guide the profession, it requires a high level of commitment that, as a rule, appears at a young age. In addition to the disciplined lives and the care that athletes must take of their bodies, the appearance of injuries can be a tough test of the athlete's physical and mental endurance. It happens in football as in any other sport. The sacrifice becomes even more apparent when we talk about “minor” injuries, those that allow the footballer to continue playing, despite the pain and discomfort not going away. In these cases, the club meticulously chooses the date of the operation, usually at the end of the season, and it is up to the athlete to continue playing until then. For example, Viktor Gyökeres or Tomás Araújo fall into this category.

Bad news that could be good? Viktor Gyökeres misses Sweden squad and undergoes left knee surgery

The most recent case comes from Spain and is called Jude Bellingham. According to the newspaper As , the English star will have to undergo surgery after the Club World Cup, followed by a three-month recovery period, with him only expected to return in October. Up until now, we could have been talking about a normal episode in the life of a footballer, or else the midfielder has been injured since… November 5, 2023. It all happened in a match against Rayo Vallecano (home, 0-0), when, in a dispute for the ball with Isi Palazón, in the 10th minute, the number 5 suffered a dislocation in his left shoulder, although this did not prevent him from playing… and how. Since then, he has played 100 games (83 for Real Madrid and 17 for the English national team) and spent 599 days fighting against the pain.

To minimise the damage caused by the injury, Bellingham began to wear a brace on his left shoulder, both in games for the Merengues and in matches against the Three Lions. He was only able to continue playing and keeping fit to be an option for the Champions League final, played at Wembley, and the European Championship, which took place in Germany at the end of the season. This season, the decision not to operate on the midfielder was maintained in view of Real Madrid's objectives and current participation in the Club World Cup, in which the Madrid team is in the round of 16, where they will face Juventus on Tuesday. Given the setback, Bellingham's performance on the pitch declined, with the brace hindering his mobility, especially in games played in higher temperatures, and the player began to lose patience.

“I’m going to have an operation on my shoulder after the Club World Cup. I’m losing my patience and I just want this to be over. The entire medical team at Real Madrid have been incredible. They help me a lot in every game. My shoulder is fine. I got to a point where the pain wasn’t that bad, but I was tired of playing with the bandage. I want to feel free. It’s very hot, I’m losing weight from sweating so much and I have the operation scheduled for after the World Cup,” revealed the 21-year-old after the match against Pachuca on Sunday, in which he was named man of the match after scoring the first goal.

The Spanish press reports that Bellingham is only expected to return to the pitch after October 19, after the second break of the season for international commitments. Even so, the date is only an estimate, and it is assumed that the “deadline” could be extended, depending on what happens with the operation and signs of recovery. What is certain is that the English international will be out of action for at least three months and will have to sacrifice his holidays after the Club World Cup. During that period, Xabi Alonso will have to find a replacement for one of the big names in his team, with Arda Güler and future signing Franco Mastantuono appearing in the pipeline. Brahim Díaz could also have his chance here.