"Becoming alarming", "About to be knocked out of CL" - Fans react as Real Madrid confirm Jude Bellingham suffered ankle injury in win vs Girona
Real Madrid have confirmed that Jude Bellingham suffered a high-grade sprain in his left ankle in his side's 4-0 win against Girona on Saturday (February 10).
Bellingham bagged a brace in the top-of-the-table clash against Michel's men at the Santiago Bernabeu. The English superstar took his tally for the season to 20 goals and eight assists in 29 games across competitions.
However, there was cause for concern in the 57th minute when the 20-year-old was forced off after he slipped over. He was replaced by Brahim Diaz and fears grew over the extent of his injury.
The La Liga giants released a statement on their official website confirming Bellingham's injury. It stated:
"Following tests carried out today on Jude Bellingham by the Real Madrid Medical Services, he has been diagnosed with a sprain in his left ankle. His recovery from him will be monitored."
Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano reports that Bellingham is set to miss 2-3 weeks of actions for Los Blancos. The club are hopeful that he will return for their UEFA Champions League round of 15 second leg clash with RB Leipzig on March 7.
It's a massive blow for Carlo Ancelotti whose side have been plagued with injuries this season. Bellingham's ankle sprain is the 28th they've suffered this season with three of those being ACL injuries (Eder Militao, Thibaut Courtois, and David Alaba).
Jude Bellingham is set to miss the first leg of his side's Champions League tie with Leipzig (February 13). He will also sit out La Liga clashes with Rayo Vallecano (February 18), Sevilla (February 25) and Valencia (March 2).
One fan voiced his concerns with Bellingham's absence by predicting Real Madrid to exit Europe's elite club competition:
"Madrid about to be knocked out of CL."
Another fan alluded to the number of injuries Ancelotti's men have suffered:
"The rate at which players are getting injured these days is becoming alarming. What’s really going on?"
Here's how fans on X (formerly Twitter) reacted to the England international's injury:
Jude Bellingham reacts to Real Madrid's win against Girona
Jude Bellingham put his injury troubles to one side to celebrate Real Madrid's 4-0 win against La Liga title rivals Girona. It was a significant victory for Ancelotti's side as they took a five-point lead at the top of the table.
The Englishman took to X following the game and sent a message to the Santiago Bernabeu faithful:
"Nothing’s decided yet, we’ll keep pushing! 20 piece."
Bellingham has been a revelation since joining Los Merengues from Borussia Dortmund last summer for €103 million. He's La Liga's top scorer with 16 goals in 21 games and is playing a significant role in their title challenge.