Bellingham absence divides Spanish press before Benfica v Real Madrid | OneFootball

Jude Bellingham, Real Madrid star, was injured during the match against Rayo Vallecano (2-1) in the Spanish league last Sunday, complaining of pain in his left thigh. The first indications suggest the English international will miss the Champions League playoff against Benfica, on February 17 and 25. The player’s unavailability has sparked a debate in the Spanish press.

For Marco Ruiz, from the newspaper As, this setback could be positive for Álvaro Arbeloa’s team: “Since Mbappé’s arrival, the coaches have been working to find his ideal position, because he’s neither a midfielder nor a forward. It’s possible that Real Madrid will be more balanced without Bellingham,” assures Ruiz.

Sergio Horas, from El Desmarque, has a different point of view: “The injury came at the worst possible time, because he was returning to being the Bellingham of his first season, getting into the opponent’s box and scoring goals... And also at a time when he was being questioned the most by fans, heavily criticized for his off-field life and lack of intensity at times.”

The 22-year-old midfielder is in his third season with the Spanish giant, tallying six goals and four assists in 28 matches. Jude Bellingham started the 2025/26 season later after undergoing surgery on his left shoulder in July of last year. Even so, he is Real’s third top scorer, only behind Kylian Mbappé (37 goals) and Vinícius Júnior (eight).

For the first leg, Raúl Asencio and Rodrygo are also confirmed absences, both sent off in the last group stage match, precisely at Luz, where Benfica won 4-2. Éder Militão, injured, is also not in the “Madrid” team’s plans, where Álvaro Carreras plays.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.