Bellingham to miss start of season after shoulder surgery

Real Madrid's England midfielder, Jude Bellingham looks likely to miss the first six weeks of the 2025-26 La Liga season due to an operation to cure a longstanding shoulder injury.

Jude Bellingham (L) of Real Madrid vies with Clement Lenglet of Atletico de Madrid during the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 second leg football match between Atletico de Madrid and Real Madrid in Madrid, Spain, on March 12, 2025. (Photo by Gustavo Valiente/Xinhua)

The Athletic and the BBC both reported that the 21-year-old will have the operation after the Club World Cup which will be played in the United States in June and July and where his side is the one of the favorites.

Bellingham has struggled with his shoulder problem since 2023 when he injured it in a La Liga match with Rayo Vallecano and has had to play with a strapping to prevent further damage.

The midfielder scored only 14 goals in 52 games this seaon, compared with 23 goals in 43 appearances in his debut campaign with the Spanish giant.

If Bellingham has the operation in the middle of July, he will miss the pre-season and around six weeks of the next La Liga campaign.