Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham is expected to be out for up to 12 weeks after undergoing surgery on a recurring shoulder injury, the club announced on Wednesday.
“Our player Jude Bellingham has undergone successful surgery for a recurrent left shoulder dislocation,” read a statement from the Spanish club. “Bellingham will now begin a period of rehabilitation prior to his return to recovery work.”
Although the club didn’t confirm a recovery timeline, Spanish outlets report the England international will need approximately three months to return to full fitness.
Bellingham first dislocated his shoulder in a La Liga match back in November 2023 and has played through discomfort since then, often wearing a protective brace.
He postponed the procedure until after Real Madrid’s run in the Club World Cup this summer, where they reached the semi-finals under manager Xabi Alonso.
The 22-year-old is now set to miss key fixtures, including a La Liga clash against Atletico Madrid in September and Madrid’s opening two Champions League games. He will also be unavailable for England’s World Cup qualifiers against Andorra and Serbia on September 6 and 9.
However, Bellingham is likely to return in time for the season’s first El Clasico against Barcelona in late October.
Speaking during the Club World Cup, Bellingham admitted his frustration: “I’ve got to the point where I’m fed up with the brace—having to tug on it, and players pulling on it, and it shifting constantly.”
