Jude Bellingham, the midfielder for Real Madrid and England, is anticipated to be sidelined for a minimum of six weeks at the start of the upcoming season. This is due to a scheduled shoulder surgery following the Club World Cup. Bellingham, 21, has been dealing with a recurring shoulder issue since 2023, and Real Madrid has planned the surgery to take place after the tournament in the United States.

Bellingham, who previously played for Birmingham City, has been seen wearing shoulder strapping while playing for both England and his club. He initially missed two games for both Madrid and England in late 2023 after sustaining a shoulder injury against Rayo Vallecano.

The expanded 32-team Club World Cup is set to be held in the United States from June 15 to July 13. Bellingham is expected to miss the entire preseason and at least the first six weeks of the new campaign. This absence would also include England's World Cup qualifiers against Andorra and Serbia in September.

England's manager, Thomas Tuchel, is scheduled to announce his England squad for June's qualifier against Andorra and a friendly match against Senegal on Friday. Questions remain regarding the selection of players who are also participating in the Club World Cup.

Bellingham had a standout first season in Spain after transferring from Borussia Dortmund for £115 million. He played a key role in Madrid's La Liga title and Champions League victories, scoring 23 goals in 43 appearances. However, this season, he has scored only 14 goals in 52 appearances, with Madrid losing the title to Barcelona and being eliminated from Europe in the quarter-finals by Arsenal.