An insight into the reasoning behind Jude Bellingham’s absence from the latest Real Madrid matchday squad has on Thursday been provided.
Real, of course, are primed to mark their return to action in 24 hours’ time.
Fresh off all but securing their status as La Liga champions courtesy of victory over arch rivals Barcelona last weekend, Los Blancos will make the trip to Anoeta, for a meeting with Real Sociedad.
With one eye already on next week’s trip to Germany for the first leg of his side’s Champions League semi-final showdown with Bayern Munich, Carlo Ancelotti is expected to heavily rotate his XI on Friday night.
Speaking to the media this afternoon, though, Real Madrid’s boss suggested that a strong panel of players would nevertheless make the journey to San Sebastián.
In fact, alongside long-term absentees David Alaba and Thibaut Courtois, Ancelotti pointed towards only Ferland Mendy as being in line to miss out.
In turn, it came as something of a surprise when, upon Los Merengues’ travelling squad being unveiled across social media on Thursday, the aforementioned Jude Bellingham was nowhere to be seen:
Those of a Real persuasion, however, need not fret.
This comes with it having been confirmed that the Englishman was absent from group training earlier in the day, owing to a bout of gastroenteritis.
Conor Laird | GSFN
