England and Real Madrid's midfield maestro, Jude Bellingham, has recently undergone successful surgery to address a persistent shoulder injury. This development means the 22-year-old will be absent from Real Madrid's pre-season activities and is expected to miss at least the initial six weeks of the upcoming campaign. This period includes crucial World Cup qualifiers for England against Andorra and Serbia in September.

Bellingham has been grappling with this shoulder issue since 2023, when he suffered a dislocation during a match against Rayo Vallecano. Despite managing the injury with strapping and a sling, Bellingham expressed his weariness with the condition in June, stating he was "tired of playing with the sling."

Real Madrid, under the new management of Xabi Alonso, will commence their La Liga season at home against Osasuna on August 19. The club has planned a comprehensive rehabilitation program for Bellingham to ensure his full recovery before he returns to training.

Bellingham's absence is a significant blow to Real Madrid, given his impressive track record since joining from Borussia Dortmund for £115 million two years ago. In his debut season, he played a pivotal role in securing the La Liga title and the Champions League, netting 23 goals in 43 appearances. Last season, despite Real Madrid losing the league title to Barcelona and being knocked out of the Champions League by Arsenal in the quarter-finals, Bellingham scored 15 goals in 58 games.

The surgery was strategically scheduled after the Club World Cup in the United States, where Real Madrid was defeated in the semi-finals by Paris St-Germain. As Bellingham embarks on his recovery journey, Real Madrid will need to navigate the early stages of the season without one of their key players, testing the depth and resilience of their squad.

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