Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham will be sidelined for approximately a month due to a muscle injury in his lower right leg.
The 21-year-old sustained the injury during training on Friday, and head coach Carlo Ancelotti described it as "a knock."
After a thorough examination, Madrid issued a statement confirming that Bellingham had injured the plantar muscle of his right leg.
The statement read: "Following tests carried out today on Jude Bellingham by Real Madrid’s medical team, the player has been diagnosed with an injury to the plantaris muscle in his right leg. His progress will be monitored."
The Sporting News now look at how many games he will miss for both club and country.
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How many games will Bellingham be out for?
Bellingham played 87 minutes in Madrid’s 1-1 draw against Mallorca before being substituted for Turkey’s Arda Guler.
The injury is expected to keep Bellingham out of England’s upcoming UEFA Nations League matches against the Republic of Ireland on September 7 and Finland on September 10.
Madrid will continue their La Liga title defense with a match against Real Valladolid on Sunday and also have games against Las Palmas and Real Betis before the international break.
| Fixture | Date |
| Real Madrid vs. Real Valladolid | August 25 |
| Las Palmas vs. Real Madrid | August 29 |
| Real Madrid vs. Real Betis | September 1 |
| Ireland vs. England | September 7 |
| England vs. Finland | September 10 |
| Real Sociedad vs. Real Madrid | September 15 |
| UCL MD1 | September 17-19 |
| Real Madrid vs. Espanyol | September 22 |
In a press conference earlier on Friday, Ancelotti noted: "[Bellingham] got a knock. We’re evaluating it."
Since his £89 million ($117m) transfer from Borussia Dortmund last summer, Bellingham has become a crucial figure for Real Madrid.
He scored 19 goals and provided six assists in La Liga, helping Madrid secure their 36th league title and earning the La Liga Player of the Season award. Additionally, he made nine goal contributions in Europe as Madrid won their 15th Champions League title