Real Madrid Star Set for Surgery, Miss Start of Next Season, per Report | OneFootball

Jude Bellingham is set to undergo shoulder surgery after the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, per The Athletic.

The Real Madrid midfielder has been nursing a shoulder injury since Nov. 2023 and will finally go under the knife to fix the problem later this summer. Bellingham's recovery will reportedly take around three months, forcing him to miss the start of the 2025–26 La Liga season.

Bellingham opted to avoid surgery right after the injury occurred so he did not have to miss time in his debut season. Instead, he played while wearing a fitted brace and helped Los Blancos win La Liga and the Champions League.

The 21-year-old could not undergo the procedure last summer either or else he would have had to sit out of Euro 2024. Bellingham played an instrumental role in getting England to the final, where the Three Lions ultimately fell short against Spain.

Without much time to rest between the international tournament and the start of the 2024–25 La Liga season, Bellingham continued playing through the pain. Now, it seems the time has come to finally repair his dislocated shoulder, but not until after the FIFA Club World Cup.

Xabi Alonso, who is in line to replace Carlo Ancelotti, will be grateful to have Bellingham available to play in this summer's newly expanded tournament in the United States. Should Real Madrid make it to the FIFA Club World Cup final, Bellingham would not be able to begin his long road to recovery until after July 13.

Losing Bellingham for the start of Alonso's first La Liga campaign in charge is less than ideal for the new manager, but recent transfer reports indicate Real Madrid are in the market for a new midfielder. Adding depth to the position would help Los Blancos get by in the early stages of the season, but it will be nearly impossible to replace Bellingham.