The English midfielder was subbed off due to injury early in the game against Rayo Vallecano on Sunday, with Los Blancos announcing that his recovery will be assessed over time
Jude Bellingham’s season has taken an unwelcome turn after the Real Madrid midfielder suffered a muscle injury that will rule him out for around a month, depriving the club of one of its most influential figures during a decisive stretch of the campaign.
The injury was sustained just nine minutes into Madrid’s league match against Rayo Vallecano, when Bellingham felt a sharp problem in the back of his left thigh while accelerating to meet a through ball from Franco Mastantuono.
The midfielder immediately showed signs of discomfort and was unable to continue, with the early substitution raising concerns on the bench.
Those fears were confirmed later the same day. After undergoing an MRI scan, Bellingham was diagnosed with a tear to the semitendinosus muscle in his left leg. Real Madrid outlined the findings in an official medical statement that stopped short of giving a definitive return date.
“Following tests carried out today on our player Jude Bellingham by the Real Madrid medical services, he has been diagnosed with an injury to the semitendinosus muscle in his left leg. His recovery will be assessed over time,” the club said in its official medical report.
Bellingham medical report.
— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) February 1, 2026
Which matches will Jude Bellingham miss due to injury with Real Madrid?
There were subtle indications that all was not right even before kick-off. During the pre-match warm up, Bellingham was seen repeatedly touching his left thigh as he walked onto the pitch.
At the time, the issue appeared manageable, but once the intensity of the game increased, the discomfort quickly returned.
The diagnosis means the midfielder is expected to be unavailable for approximately four weeks. During that period, he will miss league matches against Valencia, Real Sociedad, Osasuna and Getafe, as well as the highly anticipated European tie against Benfica.
Bellingham now joins Éder Militão on the sidelines, with the Brazilian defender still expected to miss around two more months as he continues his recovery from a muscle injury.