Real Madrid superstar center midfielder Jude Bellingham has only just returned from a left hamstring injury that cost him nearly two months of action. Although there was talk of him starting this weekend against Mallorca after not being called into action of the international break, Real Madrid manager Alvaro Arbeloa had him come off the bench for about 30 minutes.
Bellingham was largely ineffective, and Real Madrid were unable to turn around the game against Mallorca, losing 2-1 to one of La Liga's most notoriously difficult teams to play against on the road, especially, paradoxically, for the Big Three clubs.
As many Madridistas reacted with more criticism for Real Madrid superstars and included Bellingham in that slander fest after the loss, Alvaro Arbeloa spoke at length to reporters at the post game press conference about Jude's recovery from the hamstring injury.
Jude Bellingham is working his way back
Arbeloa is backing Bellingham to the fullest, and. his plan for the England international is to slowly ease his minutes back upwards to avoid aggravation. The Spanish manager said of his most talented midfielder, via Madrid Xtra, “It’s normal that Bellingham is a bit out of rhythm because he’s been out for several weeks. I think he played about 20 minutes vs Atlético Madrid, and today he played a little over half an hour. The idea is for him to keep building up his match fitness. We can’t expect him to be at his peak without having played many games. This is only his second game since this whole break, so we need to be patient with him.”
As the Real Madrid fan base somehow becomes even bigger with more fans flocking to follow the team because their superstars play for it, the fan base has become more fractured and divided. For some reason, the fans are divided against themselves for agendas over certain players, so when someone like Jude Bellingham is coming off a difficult moment and rusty due to an injury layoff, the opportunistic sharks are ready with their biting reactions.
The reality is that Bellingham is going to need a bit of time to get back to his best, and Arbeloa himself is still figuring out how to integrate so many important players and moving parts in a talented midfield. Bellingham was at his best closer to goal in his first season at the Santiago Bernabeu, competing for the Pichichi and winning both the league title and the Champions League. When healthy, he is a major asset. Arbeloa's task is to keep him healthy and find his best role again in a totally new look team.
Instead of reacting and almost gleefully chiding Bellingham for looking sluggish, perhaps Real Madrid fans should see the bigger picture and support their best players. Many fans have bigger egos and fewer accomplishments than the very players and coaches they love to throw under the bus for one lackluster week.