Jude Bellingham Likely to miss UCL clash against Leipzig

Bad news is hitting Real Madrid after they confirmed that Jude Bellingham suffered an ankle injury while leading his team to beat Girona in La Liga. Carlo Ancelotti's side crushed their opponents 4-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu, on Sunday 11 February 2024, with Vinicius Junior starting the match perfectly with a beautiful long-range goal in just six minutes.

The 20-year-old star striker Bellingham then capitalized on a superb pass from the Brazilian to double the lead, before tapping in the rebound shortly after the restart to seal the win. However, just a few minutes after scoring his second goal, the Englishman had to lie down in pain after his foot slipped. After receiving medical treatment, Los Blancos in-form striker Bellingham decided he was unable to continue and limped off the field. The 64-year-old veteran head coach confirmed afterwards that Bellingham had sprained his ankle and now Real has provided an update after he underwent a scan.

"After tests carried out today on Jude Bellingham by the Real Madrid medical team, he was diagnosed with an injury to his left ankle," read Ancelotti's statement. "His recovery will continue to be monitored."

Meanwhile, according to Fabrizio Romano, Real Madrid's main man has suffered a 'serious' injury and will most likely be out for 2-3 weeks. For now, Los Blancos hope he can return for the second leg of their Champions League last 16 tie against RB Leipzig on March 7. If it's really serious, that means Bellingham will miss the first leg away to Leipzig on Tuesday(13 Feb), as well as La Liga games against Rayo Vallecano, Sevilla and Valencia.

This injury will be a big blow for the current La Liga leaders Real Madrid, considering the contribution of Bellingham who has been outstanding this season. His two goals against Girona ensured his return to the lead as the top scorer in La Liga, with 16 goals from 21 matches which put him ahead of Girona's Artem Dovbyk and Getafe's Borja Mayoral, who both have 14 goals. Bellingham has also scored four goals and three assists in five Champions League matches this season and his presence will be greatly missed when facing Leipzig.

The absence of the former Dortmund player adds to the long list of injury problems experienced by Real Madrid, with Antonio Rudiger also missing the match against Leipzig, while players such as Thibaut Courtois and Eder Militao will be absent for a long period.