Real Madrid will monitor midfielder Jude Bellingham after scans showed he sustained an ankle sprain during Saturday’s 4-0 rout of Spanish title rivals Girona.
Bellingham scored twice as Madrid hammered Girona at the Santiago Bernabeu, with Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo also on target as Los Blancos moved five points clear at the top of La Liga.
However, the England international hobbled out of the game after 57 minutes, having initially tried to continue following a painful collision with Girona midfielder Pablo Torre.
Read our other football news stories here:
England to face Republic of Ireland in UEFA Nations League
Southgate: No decision on England future until after Euro 2024
Pochettino: Villa win must be starting point for Chelsea revival
Madrid allayed fears that Bellingham’s injury was a serious one on Sunday, though they confirmed he had sprained his left ankle.
While the club said they would monitor Bellingham’s recovery in the coming days, reports from Spain have suggested he may face a period of around three weeks on the sidelines.
Should that timeline prove accurate, Bellingham will miss league games against Rayo Vallecano and Sevilla before the end of February, while he now appears certain to sit out Tuesday’s Champions League clash with RB Leipzig.
Bellingham medical report.#RealMadrid
— Real Madrid C.F. ???????????????? (@realmadriden) February 11, 2024
Fourteen-time European champions Madrid go to Germany for the first leg of their last-16 tie, before welcoming Marco Rose’s team to Spain for the return fixture on March 6.
Madrid will be desperate to have Bellingham available for the second leg of that tie, with the 20-year-old having made a stunning start to life in Spain after arriving from Borussia Dortmund last year.
Bellingham has scored 20 goals for Madrid across all competitions this season, more than any other player playing in La Liga.
His return of 16 goals in the Spanish top flight, meanwhile, is already the best managed by any Madrid midfielder in a single campaign in the 21st century.