Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham is expected to be sidelined for up to 12 weeks after undergoing surgery to address a recurring shoulder injury, the club confirmed on Wednesday.
“Jude Bellingham has undergone successful surgery for a recurrent dislocation of his left shoulder,” read a statement from the Spanish giants. “He will now begin a rehabilitation period before resuming recovery work.”
Though Madrid did not officially confirm a recovery timeline, Spanish media reports suggest the England international could be out of action for around three months.
Bellingham, 22, first dislocated his shoulder during a LaLiga fixture in November 2023 and has since been playing with a brace beneath his shirt to manage the discomfort. He opted to delay surgery until after Madrid’s Club World Cup campaign, in which Xabi Alonso’s side reached the semifinals.
As a result, Bellingham is set to miss key matches, including the LaLiga derby away to Atletico Madrid in late September and Madrid’s opening two Champions League group stage games. He’ll also be unavailable for England’s World Cup qualifiers against Andorra and Serbia on 6 and 9 September, respectively.
However, he is expected to be fit in time for El Clásico, when Real Madrid host Barcelona in late October.
“I got to the point where I was just fed up with the brace,” Bellingham admitted during the Club World Cup. “Having to constantly adjust it — and other players pulling on it — was frustrating.”
The surgery aims to fully resolve the issue and ensure Bellingham returns at full strength later this autumn.
