Real Madrid mainstay could miss the first ten matches of the new season | OneFootball

Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham will undergo surgery on his shoulder following the FIFA Club World Cup.

The England international has been struggling with the shoulder problem for a long time now and has finally decided to undergo surgery once the ongoing tournament in the USA is out of the way.

Three months, ten games out

Now, according to AS, Bellingham is expected to be out for a period of three months once he goes under the knife after the FIFA Club World Cup.

Earlier reports had suggested that the former Borussia Dortmund man could be out for the remainder of 2025, so a three-month recovery timeline seems like good news.

However, it also means that Bellingham will not return to action until after the October international break – specifically, around the 19th. As a result, he could miss at least the first ten matches of the 2025-26 season.

A painful issue

Set for surgery this summer. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

Bellingham first dislocated his left shoulder on 5 November 2023, in a match against Rayo Vallecano. Although the shoulder was reset, and he continued playing, the injury never fully healed.

Since then, he has been playing with heavy protection on the joint, enduring significant discomfort in every match – 17 with England and 83 with Real Madrid, totalling 100 matches played in pain over the last 599 days.

Now, he has reached his limit and will undergo surgery.

Real Madrid expect Bellingham to return around 19 October, following the second international break of the season.

However, this is a tentative date and will depend on several variables: how far Real Madrid progress in the Club World Cup, the timing of the operation, and the player’s rehabilitation.

In total, he is likely to miss around ten matches – including La Liga fixtures from Matchday 1 to 8 and the opening two Champions League group stage games.