Real Madrid News
Real Madrid rising star ‘will definitely win the Ballon d’Or’, says Serbia NT coach
Serbian national team coach Dragan Stojkovic believes that Real Madrid and England midfielder Jude Bellingham will undoubtedly win the Ballon d’Or in the future.
Speaking ahead of Serbia’s match against England this Sunday, Stojkovic expressed his admiration for Bellingham. He highlighted that his team must be cautious and cannot afford to give Bellingham much space on the field.
He emphasised the need for his defenders to be extra vigilant because of Bellingham’s presence.
“You don’t have to give him a lot of space, he is a very important player for the English team. We’ll see on Sunday,” said Serbia’s coach as quoted by AS.
“In defence, of course, we have to be careful and show everything we did during our training,” he added.
Bellingham – A future Ballon d’Or winner
Stojkovic admitted that Bellingham is a major threat to any team, including his own. He praised the midfielder’s impressive performances this season where he scored 23 goals and provided 13 assists.
“He is a great guy. He will definitely win the Ballon d’Or in the future. He plays impressively, although he is young, he is strong, he has quality, he showed all of that at Real Madrid.
“It’s really impressive how he plays. He is a very, very young guy… It’s really amazing the performances he puts in every game.”
“He is great for England, bad for us. But we will do everything possible to have control,” he added.
Stojkovic’s comments reflect his respect for Bellingham as a player and his recognition of the challenges his team will face.
He is aware of the impact Bellingham can have on the game, as seen this season when he ended with three trophies, and the necessity for his team to be on high alert.
Real Madrid News
Real Madrid hope captain will resume group training tomorrow and be ready for Villarreal
Real Madrid received a major boost in training today as Kylian Mbappe participated in the group session, indicating his readiness for the upcoming game against Villarreal.
The French superstar had returned from international duty with a knee injury, but seems to have left it behind and appears ready to start at the Santiago Bernabeu come Saturday.
What about Federico Valverde?
Now, according to AS, Federico Valverde was not part of the group training session today at Valdebebas. Instead, he was involved in an individual session away from his teammates.
However, Real Madrid hope that their club captain will be able to resume working with the rest of the squad on Thursday, putting him in the fray to return in time for Saturday’s clash against Villarreal.
Valverde is currently recovering from an ankle sprain that he sustained in Real Madrid’s 2-1 derby defeat against Atletico Madrid prior to the international break.
The Uruguayan midfielder was on the receiving end of a harsh tackle from Kang-In Lee, which left him injured, ruling him out of action for the national team.
The 28-year-old stayed behind in Madrid and has worked hard on his recovery, with things progressing in the right direction.
What now remains to be seen is whether he can jump back into group training session on Thursday, which would put him on the path to return to action against Villarreal.
A key player for Mourinho
So far this season, Valverde has emerged as a permanent fixture in the team under new manager Jose Mourinho.
The Real Madrid captain has started all of the team’s eight matches in all competitions this term, scoring and assisting one goal apiece.
His potential availability for Saturday’s clash against Villarreal will come as a major boost for Mourinho & co. Everything will depend on how things progress in tomorrow’s training session at Valdebebas.
With Ibrahima Konate also recovering from his knee sprain, Real Madrid have only three players sidelined currently: Raul Asencio, who recently underwent surgery, Rodrygo Goes, who is a long-term absentee, and Ferland Mendy, who has resumed work with the ball.
