Real Madrid News
Real Madrid rising star could play vs Cadiz with protection on injured area – report
Jude Bellingham has been a pillar in Real Madrid’s midfield this season. The youngster is deployed as the attacking midfielder on paper, although his statistics would tempt one to believe otherwise.
With ten goals in eleven league appearances for Los Blancos, the English phenom has been nothing less than a striker for the team. What makes his contributions more valuable is the sheer number of match-winning contributions he has made so far.
The 20-year-old has been a regular feature in almost every game for the Merengues across all competitions.
Only a shoulder injury halted him from participating in the team’s last two games before the international break and had led to doubts about his involvement against Cadiz this Sunday, although he is expected to be ready.
The latest status
According to reports from SPORT, all signs indicate that Bellingham will be available for Real Madrid’s game at the weekend.
The medical staff have left the decision over his participation with the player himself, albeit with a clause.
As revealed by the publication, Los Blancos have prepared protection for the youngster’s shoulder so as to prevent adding salt to the wound.
It is now up to the player to decide if he participates with the protection, skips the game, or evaluates his situation after starting.
A world of pain
The recent international break leaves Real Madrid in a state of absolute panic. It could not have possibly gone worse for the men in white, for they lost some of their most essential stars along the way.
Vinicius Jr. suffered an injury on duty with the Brazilian national team and is expected to be out for two months at least. Meanwhile, Eduardo Camavinga is ruled out for the long term after his injury in training with France.
The latest blow came earlier this week when Rodrygo Goes returned to Madrid with a knee issue.
Three key players are thus added to the team’s long list of injuries which already includes Aurelien Tchouameni, Eder Militao, Thibaut Courtois, Kepa Arrizabalaga and Dani Ceballos.
Real Madrid News
Mourinho reacts to Vinicius suspension: “Why announce it two hours before an important match?”
Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho has questioned the RFEF Disciplinary Committee’s decision to announce Vinicius Jr.’s four-match suspension just hours before their UEFA Champions League meeting with AS Roma on Wednesday.
The Brazilian has been hit with a four-match ban for his red card against Villarreal, meaning he will miss the matches against Sevilla, Barcelona, Racing Santander, and Valencia.
And, speaking to Movistar+ (h/t MARCA) before the match, the Real Madrid manager was asked whether the punishment could affect the Brazilian psychologically.
Mourinho instead turned his attention to the football authorities and the timing of their announcement.
“I think that is a question for the Committee. Why have they announced the suspension at this particular moment? If you are asking me this question, it is presumably because you think it could affect him,” the Portuguese coach replied.
“You should ask the Committee why they did not announce it this morning, or tomorrow morning. Why do they do it two hours before a match that is important for Real Madrid, which is a Spanish club?” he added, questioning the timing of the decision.
Mourinho explains his tactical approach against Roma
The Real Madrid manager also outlined his plan for facing a Roma side known for their aggressive pressing.
“My intention is to stop them from pressing us so high up the pitch, given the players we have available and as a precaution,” he said.
Continuing, the Portuguese manager added: “They press man-to-man higher up the pitch better than anyone else, and we will see whether we can take advantage of that. If not, they will have to drop their press five or ten metres.”
Why Rudiger over Huijsen
Mourinho also justified his decision to start Antonio Rudiger at centre-back alongside Ibrahima Konate rather than Dean Huijsen.
“They played very well together in the last match, Rudiger and Konate, showing great leadership and the ability to withstand a difficult situation when we had ten men for 30 minutes,” he said.
“I am not saying Dean is not capable of playing a match like this, but this is a wonderful atmosphere for Roma and a difficult one for us. I think a player with Antonio’s experience can be important,” Mourinho added.
Finally, Mourinho was asked about his emotions ahead of returning to face Roma, the club he managed between 2021 and 2024.
The Portuguese coach offered a brief response, saying that he had his feelings about the occasion “blocked”.
