Ahead of tomorrow’s La Liga fixture with Real Sociedad, we have a couple of Real Madrid injury updates, and they pertain to their most stellar of galacticos. Yes, we’ll cover two of the biggest brand name individual players on the roster- Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham, both of whom saw their injury/health/fitness situations discussed by their coaches in media opportunities.
With Bellingham though, it was actually his national team head coach, so we’ll start with him. England manager Thomas Tuchel provided an update on Bellingham while speaking at the UEFA Nations League draw on Friday.
Real Sociedad at Real Madrid FYIs
Kickoff: Sat. Feb. 14, 9pm, Estadio Bernabeu, Madrid, SPain
LL Position, Form: Real Madrid 1st, 57 pts, DWDW Real Sociedad 8th, 31 pts, WWWDW
Google Result Probability: Real Madrid 70% Draw 17% Real Sociedad 10%
Real Madrid Team News
“The club [Real Madrid] is a bit more defensive on the outlook regarding the weeks of his recovery,” Tuchel said of the hamstring injury that Bellingham suffered on February 1.
“Jude is pushing, and as we know him, he is determined and super professional. He will try everything to be with us in March. Of course we are in contact, that is a normal thing to do, and we wish him all the best… Whatever we can do for him, we will help and support him.
“It is a little race against time.”
The race against time refers to the March internationals, which are coming up sooner than you think. England will play Uruguay on March 27 and Japan on March 31. However, Tuchel is upbeat that Bellingham will be able to make the squad.
“Personally, I am optimistic [about Bellingham’s fitness],” Tuchel continued. “But I am not sure.”
As for Mbappe, he’s been battling a persistent left knee injury, which forced him to train indoors on Wednesday and Thursday, and that initially made his status for tomorrow doubtful. However, he joined the rest of the group in training outdoors today, and he’s now cleared to play.
“Yes, Kylian is fine,” Madrid manager Arbeloa said at his press conference earlier today. “He’s trained with the group and he’s available for tomorrow’s game.”
Elsewhere Rodrygo, battling a muscular injury, faces a late fitness test in order to make the matchday squad here.
Moving on to other Los Blancos injury news, the following trio is set to miss out here: Eder Militao (hamstring) Ferland Mendy (hamstring), Raul Asencio (illness).
There is better news though- Vinicius Junior now returns to action after missing the win over Valencia due to suspension. Meanwhile Trent Alexander-Arnold has already returned to match fitness, playing some substitute minutes, but now looks poised to feature from the opening kick.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, RG.org and Ratings.org. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.