Last minute: Bellingham suffered a sudden shoulder injury and faces the risk of staying away from the field for a year. In this case, Xabi Alonso believes that this player will replace 3 names. “Arda Guler is the most promising candidate.”
Jude Bellingham, one of Real Madrid’s dynamic midfielder and the brightest stars of world football, received a destructive blow to a year away from the fields. In 2023, Borussia Dortmund’dan transfer from the real Madrid midfielder, one of the cornerstones of the 22-year-old British player, a recent training during a serious shoulder injury to the club’s 2025-26 La Liga season shadowed the preparations. Although the first reports showed that the postoperative recovery process would be shorter, the complications increased the concerns that Bellingham could stay away from the fields for a long time and even miss the whole season. This unexpected setback led to three talented players to fill the new coach Xabi Alonso, and the young Turkish star Arda Güler came to the forefront as the most important candidate to assume the key role of Bellingham.
In November 2023, a shoulder discomfort, which was thought to be even worse, occurred during a routine training in Real Madrid’s Valdebebas training facility. 2025 FIFA Clubs During the World Cup, Bellingham, who managed his disability with a protective corset, felt serious discomfort and was urgently taken into consideration. Experts confirmed that the damage on the left shoulder was more serious than the initially thought and required a complex surgery and a comprehensive rehabilitation process. Although the first estimates foresees a recovery process of 10 to 12 weeks, resources close to the club say that the absence of complications may extend up to 12 months and that this period may leave it away from the fields of 2025-26 season and affect the participation of international competitions with the UK National Team.
The absence of Bellingham is an important blow for Real Madrid, who plays a key role in the tactical installation of Xabi Alonso. During the World Cup, the clubs started Madrid’s six matches in the first 11 and contributed to a goal and an assistance, while Alonso’s fluent 4-3-3 and 3-5-2 displayed the versatility. His energy, vision and the ability to influence both defense and attack stages made him a “team of the team”, as Alonso said. La Liga season will start against Osasuna on August 19, 2025, while Alonso now has to restructure the midfield without one of the most influential names.
In this squad, the 20 -year -old Turkish star Arda Güler, who is shown as the biggest candidate for Bellingham to replace, comes to the fore. Guler transferred from Fenerbahce to Real Madrid in 2023, despite the limited time under the management of the previous coach Carlo Ancelotti showed a brilliant performance. Under the guidance of Alonso, Güler began to manifest itself in the period when he scored a critical goal against Pachuca by playing 423 minutes in the Clubs World Cup. Alonso praised Güler’s ball control, vision and the ability to direct the game from the midfield; These features closely coincide with the role of Bellingham’s advanced midfielder. Güler’s emergence as a potential star has been a positive development for Madrid, and its recent performances shows that it is ready to play a more important role. Alonso’s decision to position Güler as an inner midfielder instead of a wing player reflects the young Turk’s belief in the midfield and the ability to distribute the game effectively.
Alonso hopes that in addition to Güler, Eduardo Camavinga and Federico Valverde will come to the fore. The 22 -year -old French midfielder Camavinga has the potential to create a dynamic binary pivot with Valverde, which allows Güler to take part in further attacks. However, the development of Camavinga was interrupted due to injuries, including the groin injury, which kept him away from the World Cup. Nevertheless, Alonso refers to Camavinga’s athletic structure and versatility and remains optimistic about Camavinga’s ability to contribute. Valverde, one of the basic poles of the midfield of Madrid, is expected to take more responsibility to compensate for the absence of Bellingham. The working speed and the ability to control the field make it a natural harmony to balance the midfield.
The multi -faceted 25 -year -old striker brahim Díaz is the third option Alonso thinks. Clubs play for 103 minutes during the World Cup during the World Cup, Díaz provides flexibility in connecting midfields and attacks, especially in 4-3-3 arranches. Although it is not possible to wear uniforms in the first 11, the ability to create positions in narrow spaces may be valuable in certain matches.
Alonso’s confidence in the current staff is obvious; Real Madrid will not transfer a new midfielder unless a player left. Imiz We may be dominant in the midfield with our squad, ”he said to fill the gap, Camavinga and Valverde. However, the difficulty of filling the physical strength, creativity and the unique mixture of the threat of scoring Bellingham cannot be underestimated. Particularly, Guler will face great pressure to perform a stable performance, considering the relatively inexperienced players at the highest level.
Real Madrid is preparing for a season without Bellingham, how to adapt the tactics of Alonso to the maximizing the potential of the players to replace Alonso. The rise of Güler may be the beginning of a new era for the club, but the next way will test the depth and durability of the staff full of these stars. The fans are eagerly awaiting developments in Bellingham’s healing and hoping that their talisman will return to Santiago Bernabéu as soon as possible.
