All-world Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham was taken off in the 89′ of his side’s UCL win at Braga on Tuesday night, and that created concerns he might not be available for his first Clásico on Saturday. While Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti did confirm the fully match fit state of the English international after that match, some Madristas and football observers still thought that the participation of Bellingham could still be in doubt.
After all, obfuscating the truth about player fitness levels is all part of the manager’s job description these days.
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%
But today saw Jude Bellingham put those fears to bed, as he said to RTVE: “I’m ready. I had a little tweak in the last game in the Champions League but I’m feeling good and hopefully I’ll be out there and hopefully we get a good result… I just had a bit of fatigue, I’ve played a lot of games so far this season already.”
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