Real Madrid suffer Jude Bellingham injury blow: Details here
What's the story
Real Madrid's star midfielder, Jude Bellingham, has suffered an injury during a training session.
The news was confirmed by the club's manager Carlo Ancelotti on Friday.
The 21-year-old England international played a crucial role in Real Madrid's triumphant Champions League and La Liga campaigns last season.
"Bellingham had a blow, he is being assessed," stated Ancelotti during a press conference when asked about the player's availability for Sunday's La Liga match against Real Valladolid.
Information
Bellingham suffers plantar fasciitis injury in his right leg
As per Fabrizio Romano, Bellingham suffered plantar fasciitis injury in his right leg. Real Madrid now expect Bellingham to be back after the international break in late September.
Training shift
Ancelotti shifts training session behind closed doors
In a departure from his usual routine of addressing the media a day before each match, Ancelotti rescheduled his final training session to be held behind closed doors at Santiago Bernabeu stadium.
He clarified that this decision was not related to Real Madrid's disappointing 1-1 draw against Mallorca last weekend.
"It's nothing special, I'm doing it just to test the pitch, because it has changed compared to last year," Ancelotti explained.
Performance expectations
Ancelotti demands improved performance from team
Ancelotti emphasized the need for an improved performance from his team, particularly if he plans to deploy four attacking players - Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo, and Bellingham - with only two conventional midfielders.
He acknowledged that their previous game highlighted a lack of balance within the team.
"With such an attacking team, the forwards have to work a bit harder. We have tried to fix it with a lot of work this week," Ancelotti said.
Debut anticipation
Ancelotti anticipates warm welcome for Mbappe
Ancelotti is expecting a warm reception from Real Madrid's fans for Mbappe's home debut, which is anticipated to be a sell-out.
"It's going to be a beautiful day for Mbappe, playing for the first time at the Bernabeu wearing Real's jersey... The fans are going to enjoy it a lot, I'm sure of that," Ancelotti said.
This statement underscores his confidence in both the team and its supporters ahead of their upcoming match against Real Valladolid.