There’s no doubt that Jude Bellingham has been far and away Real Madrid’s most important player so far this season. The English international has scored 13 in 14 since joining from Borussia Dortmund, although he was unable to find the back of the net against Rayo Vallecano on Sunday.
What was even more concerning is that Bellingham suffered a dislocated shoulder against Rayo, although it is not believed to be overly serious. He trained on Tuesday ahead of the match against Braga at the Santiago Bernabeu, although could not finish the session due to discomfort.
Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti, speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of Wednesday’s fixture (via MD), confirmed that a late call will be made on Bellingham’s availability.
“I don’t know if he will play. I will decide tomorrow. He didn’t complete training to avoid aggravating the issue, but he feels better.”
Given that Real Madrid have more than enough quality to see off Braga without Bellingham, it would make sense to rest him for the match, even if he is 100% fit to play. The last thing Los Blancos will want is for their main man to be out of action for the significant period of time.