According to Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti, star man Jude Bellingham is “OK” after being subbed off in the 89′ of their 2-1 UEFA Champions League win at Braga last night. “He is OK,” Ancelotti responded when asked why Bellingham was taken off before the final whistle.
“His adductors are a bit charged because the pitch was a bit soft. But nothing special. He will recover. He is OK. He is a bit tired, like everybody else. But that’s normal.”
El Clasico FYIs
La Liga Fixture: Real Madrid vs FC Barcelona, Watch: ESPN+
Kickoff: Sat Oct. 28, 16:15 CET, Olympic Stadium, Barcelona, Spain
FC Barcelona Preview Material: Team News Starting XI Prediction
Real Madrid Preview Material: Team News Starting XI Prediction
Transatlantic Passage: How the Premier League Redefined Soccer in America: LINK
La Liga Standing, Form: Real Madrid 1st, 25 pts, DWWWL FC Barcelona 3rd 24 pts WDWDW
Google Result Probability: Real Madrid 34% Draw 26% FC Barcelona 40%
So it is just that simple then- Bellingham will be fine for El Clasico on Saturday?
Well, not exactly, as a report in The Athletic today claims that the attacking midfielder extraordinaire is going to be rested on Wednesday, and then assessed on again tomorrow. So he is basically touch and go right now.
In terms of players who are definitely ruled out of this one, the biggest clash on the Iberian Peninsula every time that it is staged, you have a quartet. Thibaut Courtois and Eder Militao remain out as long-term injury absentees while Dani Ceballos is ruled out for the next week or so with a micro muscle tear in his right leg. While he’ll miss out here, his injury is thought to be pretty minor in the grand scheme of things.
And then finally you have teenage prodigy Arda Guler. He has been back in full training for some time, but he was still left out of the UCL matchday squad yesterday. He won’t be making his Madrid debut in a match as high profile as El Clasico.
More realistically, the wonderkid’s initial appearance could come in a home match against Rayo Vallecano (5 November), Braga (8 November) or Valencia (11 November)
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager 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’s written for numerous publications, including the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. He regularly appears on NTD News and WGN News Now. Follow the website on Twitter and Instagram.