Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham smiles during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Rayo Vallecano at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, Spain, Sunday, Nov. 5, 2023. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)
DMVMADRID (AP) 鈥 Real Madrid will have Jude Bellingham available for the Champions League match against Braga on Wednesday, when it will go for its fourth straight win in Group C.
Bellingham injured his left shoulder in the Spanish league match against Rayo Vallecano on Sunday, but he trained on Tuesday and was included in the squad list.
Madrid leads the group with nine points, three more than Napoli and six more than Braga.
Napoli hosts winless Union Berlin in the other group match on Wednesday. Madrid has qualified for the knockout rounds in all 27 of its previous campaigns.
Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said Bellingham 鈥渄idn鈥檛 show any problems today鈥 in training. The midfield player was taken out for parts of the practice session to avoid any knocks on the shoulder.
鈥淚t鈥檚 probable that he plays, but he will be evaluated again tomorrow," Ancelotti said.
Bellingham was hurt after a fall about 10 minutes at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. Team doctors put wrapping on the shoulder and he continued playing. Tests conducted on Monday showed no major injury.
Bellingham has been Madrid鈥檚 best player since joining this season from Borussia Dortmund. The 20-year-old England international has participated in more than half of Madrid鈥檚 goals. He has 13 goals in 14 matches with the Spanish club.
Having Bellingham in top form is key for Madrid, which won only once in the four games in which he failed to score.
The team鈥檚 forwards have somewhat struggled in attack this season, with Vin铆cius J煤nior contributing three goals and Rodrygo two.
Defender Ferland Mendy has a muscle ailment but was in the squad for the game at the Bernabeu.
Ancelotti may give a debut to midfielder Arda G眉ler, the 18-year-old Turkey international who was signed this season but sustained a knee injury shortly after arriving. He was on the bench against Rayo Vallecano.
Braga is expected to be at full strength. The Portuguese team has never advanced past the group stage. It is making its third Champions League appearance, and first in 11 seasons.
DEFENDING VIN脥CIUS
Ancelotti defended Vin铆cius despite criticism from opponents that the Brazil international confronts players and referees too much during matches.
鈥淢aybe he has to improve his attitude in certain situations, but he has already improved a lot, and is still improving," Ancelotti said. "We are thrilled with him.鈥
CAMAVINGA'S CONTRACT
Madrid extended the contract of France midfielder Eduardo Camavinga until the end of the 2028-29 season.
The 20-year-old Camavinga arrived at Madrid from Rennes in 2021 and has helped the club win six trophies, including a Champions League and a Spanish league.
He has made 114 appearances with Madrid.
Madrid recently had extended the contract of Vin铆cius until 2027 and of fellow Brazil forward Rodrygo until 2028.
___
AP soccer:
国产诱惑福利. All rights reserved.
Sorry, an error occurred.
Already Subscribed!
Cancel anytime
Thank you .
Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in.
Check your email for details.
Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password.
An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account.
No promotional rates found.
Secure & Encrypted
Thank you.
Your gift purchase was successful! Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in.
| Rate: | |
| Tax: | |
| Today's total: | |
| Begins: | |
| Transaction ID: |
A receipt was sent to your email.
