Jude Bellingham, who has been suffering from shoulder pain for weeks, will not be undergoing surgery any time soon.
Bought for just over €100 million from Borussia Dortmund, the England international is now causing a stir for Real Madrid. In 21 games in all competitions, the midfielder has found the net 17 times and provided five assists. The 20-year-old is already a force to be reckoned with, but he has suffered a minor setback with a worrying shoulder problem that caused him to miss a Three Lions training camp at the end of the year, prompting talk of an operation.
And an operation inevitably means a long absence. However, according to information from the Relevo media, the former BVB man should avoid the pool table for the time being. Indeed, for his dislocated shoulder, the specialists surrounding the club only recommend an operation as a last resort. He should therefore be able to carry on playing, despite the risk of dislocating his shoulder again. Barring a major relapse, Bellingham will therefore be here until the end of the season, when he could decide to undergo an operation, i.e. after the Euros with England.
What risks does Jude Bellingham face?
Shoulder dislocations are complex injuries. Isolated incidents are usually treated with heavy strapping and physical therapy – the kind of ‘specific work’ Ancelotti mentioned when describing Bellingham’s recovery. Yet these injuries never quite heal on their own. One dislocation can lead to another. Isolated incidents can accumulate.
Ancelotti knows this. According to The Athletic, several Madrid sources have admitted that surgery has been considered to repair the injury.
It’s something that has happened before in football this season. Liverpool’s Andy Robertson, admittedly a lesser player, suffered a more serious dislocation during an outing with Scotland in October. He underwent surgery almost immediately and will be sidelined until early February.
Bellingham is not quite in the same situation. He only dislocated his shoulder once and was able to play despite the injury. All the indications are that he is responding well to treatment. There is no obvious need for major surgery – not yet, anyway. However, surgery would radically reduce the likelihood of a relapse. He won’t be risk-free – no footballer ever is – but a successful operation would put an end to the problem in the short to medium term.
For the time being, the midfielder cannot afford an operation. It would require a three-month recovery period. Even if he returns to the pitch quickly – and he is very lucky that his body heals quickly – Bellingham would be sidelined for two months. An operation now would mean missing the Champions League Round of 16. An operation later would see him miss the crucial final months of the season. An operation in May would mean he misses Euro 2024, which could wipe out England’s best chance of winning their first trophy since 1966.
His team-mate Brahim Diaz has already made his decision. He injured his shoulder at the end of September and has apparently opted to postpone his operation until the end of the season. With little chance of representing Spain at next summer’s Euros, the midfielder can afford to undergo surgery during the summer and return in time for the start of the 2023-24 season.
Bellingham does not have that luxury. He cannot sacrifice his time with his club while serving his country. Nor can he wait until the end of the Euros without missing the start of the season with his club. There aren’t eight free weeks in the football calendar, especially for a player so vital to his team.
What if it all goes wrong? What if Bellingham falls awkwardly again in Real’s next game? What if he gets pulled down hard by an opposition player? What if he collides with Antonio Rudiger during a Madrid training session? Two dislocations a few months apart would leave Madrid’s doctors no choice. They would have to operate on the Englishman or risk a potential long-term injury. It would be a delayed dislocation.
Madrid could perhaps do without him. There’s enough attacking talent here to make things work. Brahim, Vinicius Jr and Rodrygo are not equally talented replacements, but if Ancelotti manages their playing time, and Vinicius recovers from his own injury in time, then he could finish the season. On the other hand, victory in the Champions League might not be on the cards, especially if the Merengues come up against a tough opponent in the last 16.
For England, the consequences could be dire. Bellingham has been the backbone of this team for the last year. Southgate didn’t really give him a leading role until the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, when it was obvious that he had the weapons to be a starter. But once he won his place, he never let go.
All the good things that happened in that tournament – and the victories in the Euro 2024 qualifiers since – were down to Bellingham’s scintillating performance in midfield. Thanks to him, Phil Foden looks like a copy of Andres Iniesta that Pep Guardiola once referred to. He makes Harry Kane look even better. Even Jordan Henderson seems to shine in central midfield alongside him.
So all we can do now is hope. But that doesn’t look good. In La Liga, opposing defenders often took aim at Bellingham’s shoulder. For his part, the midfielder sometimes held back in duels, or adjusted his reception when his upper body was in danger. There is always a risk of something else happening, another injury caused by the protection of the current injury.
Yet Bellingham shows no signs of declining. He continues to score at a frightening rate, contributing an average of a goal a game, despite now being the centre of attention for opposing teams. Even a shoulder-injured and scarred Bellingham finds a way to win games.
The risk will always remain. A clumsy knock, a random fall or an unexpected jolt could jeopardise his season. It’s possible he could escape an operation if it happens again. There will be other matches, other seasons and, in all likelihood, other trophies.
For the time being, he will continue to go about his business. There will be goals, assists, tackles and tricks, flicks and rakes. But every time he goes down, Southgate, Ancelotti, England fans and Madrid fans alike will hold their breath. Bellingham might not get up next time.
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