Article by Aurelian Botezatu – Published Monday, 02 February 2026, 09:37 / Updated on Monday, 02 February 2026 09:38
In the 9th minute of the match at the Santiago Bernabeu, Jude Bellingham felt a twinge in the biceps femoris of his left leg during a sprint. The English midfielder immediately sat down on the pitch and coach Alvaro Arbeloa promptly replaced him with Brahim Diaz.
Jude Bellingham misses Champions League play-off
In the evening, after several investigations, the doctors confirmed the preliminary diagnosis. Bellingham suffered a pretty serious muscle injury and he will be out of action for about a month.
He will thus miss both matches that Real Madrid will play against Benfica Lisbon, in the Champions League play-off. The tour is scheduled for February 17, in Lisbon, and the return leg will take place on February 25, at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Jude Ballingham missed the start of the season due to shoulder surgery
This is the second health issue Bellingham has faced this season. After the Club World Championship, he underwent shoulder surgery, which caused him to miss the start of the season.
Then the Englishman came out in a negative light, with the Spanish press writing about the bad relationship he had with former coach Xabi Alonso, sacked by president Florentino Perez after losing the Spanish Super Cup to rivals FC Barcelona (2-3).
Jude Bellingham and his role in the sacking of Xabi Alonso
Mundo Deportivo wrote at one point that “the team has little or no connection with the new coach, in a team full of egos like Real Madrid's”.
The same ziara then named five stars who were said to be unhappy with Alonso's tactics and meticulousness: Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Jr., Thibaut Courtois, Eduardo Camavinga and Federico Valverde.
Bellingham denied any dispute with Xabi Alonso, he blamed the bad things that are written in the press and that would have absolutely nothing to do with reality. But after the departure of the Basque technician, he was among the players who did not have the decency to say goodbye.
