Real Madrid News
National team coach confirms Real Madrid superstar will not play upcoming friendly – ‘Won’t take any risks’
Real Madrid superstar Jude Bellingham was a surprise call-up in the England squad for the ongoing international break.
The 22-year-old midfielder had spent the past month and a half out injured and only made his comeback in the derby against Atletico Madrid right before the international window.
Considering that the England squad was announced by Thomas Tuchel even before his on-field comeback, there were some concerns about possible mismanagement of the Real Madrid talisman’s injury and workload.
Bellingham will not play vs Japan
Given the situation, Bellingham was not part of the matchday squad for England’s friendly against Uruguay last week, which ended in a 1-1 draw, with Real Madrid midfielder Federico Valverde scoring a last-minute equaliser for the South American nation.
Now, Tuchel has confirmed that Bellingham will play no part once again in the Three Lions’ upcoming friendly against Japan.
England take on Japan on Tuesday night at Wembley Stadium in London as preparations for the FIFA World Cup continue to take shape. But the manager has confirmed that Bellingham will not be involved in the game.
“We won’t take any risks with Jude because he’s coming back from a muscle injury and you never know what might happen,” Tuchel told BBC (h/t MARCA).
So, Bellingham will have travelled to England and been with the national team for a week without playing a single minute across their two matches.
The midfielder suffered a hamstring injury in early February against Rayo Vallecano and spent more than a month out of action.
It has been a frustrating season for the midfielder, who missed a good chunk of matches at the start of the campaign due to shoulder surgery and has had to deal with intermittent fitness issues.
So far this term, Bellingham has played 29 matches in all competitions, recording six goals and four assists.
In a season where Real Madrid have largely struggled to keep pace with leaders Barcelona, Arda Guler has been one of the few bright sparks.
Despite his limited minutes, the Turkish international has shown that he is capable of becoming a first-team regular for Los Blancos, especially at a time when others, including Vinicius Jr. are struggling to make an impact.
Guler was notably named in Real Madrid’s five-player star of the month for September and the player could soon be rewarded with a contract extension as well.
New contract for Arda Guler
According to AS, Guler has agreed terms for a new deal at Real Madrid, in what could be the club’s first major renewal for the new season.
The young Turk’s current deal at the Bernabeu expires in 2029. But the renewal will ensure his future at the club at least until 2031.
The new contract will effectively acknowledge Guler’s growing role in the Real Madrid first-team and include a salary-increase.
The negotiations between the two parties had started last month and has now come to fruition, with Guler more than happy to continue his chapter at Real Madrid.
He also joins a long list of Real Madrid players with long-term contracts, including Yan Diomande, Vinicius Jr., Marc Cucurella, Aurelien Tchouameni and others.
An important season ahead
With the contract likely to be finalised soon, Arda Guler’s main goal will be continue to his form when the season restarts next weekend.
The forward has been involved in four goals in seven matches this season. With Vinicius and Diomande struggling for form, the Turkish international will have an excellent opportunity to become a regular starter for Jose Mourinho throughout the course of the campaign.
Mourinho, for his part, must identify how to get the best out of both Guler and an in-form Jude Bellingham. If the two can somehow work together in the final third, Real Madrid could find themselves dominating most matches.
