Jude Bellingham 'not in favour' of resting after fresh shoulder injury

Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham is reported to be refusing the option of rest following a fresh shoulder injury suffered during the weekend win over Espanyol.

Bellingham missed one Madrid game last November when he dislocated his shoulder, with the decision made, and since stuck to, to treat it without surgery. Concerns were understandably heightened, then, when he appeared to dislocate it again against the visitors from Barcelona.

The England international was treated by medics there and then. And while AS reported the following day that he was in "severe pain" and waiting to see how he responded on Monday, Carlo Ancelotti declared in a pre-match press conference ahead of Tuesday night's upcoming La Liga game against Alaves that there is no lasting damage and no concern over Bellingham's availability.

"The problem he had the other day hasn't affected him. He'll wear protection, just to be safe, but he's available, he'll play," the Madrid coach explained.

Marca has written that Bellingham is "not in favour" of taking any time off, seemingly believing that playing on, albeit with the aforementioned protection, is his best route now.

The 21-year-old has already missed most of the season so far due to a leg muscle injury. The Espanyol game was actually his first appearance since the opening day of the season. It means he has only just come back off a period of rest, having acknowledged regarding that injury that it was perhaps his body’s way of telling him to stop after a busy 2023/24 campaign, followed by Euro 2024.

Days after Madrid host Alaves, it is the city derby against local rivals Atletico on Sunday night, and then Lille in the Champions League a few days later. Villarreal on 5 October will be Madrid's last game before the season's second scheduled international break next month.

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