Real Madrid were back at Valdebebas on Monday, with Jude Bellingham missing the session as the squad prepared for Wednesday’s match against Deportivo La Coruña in the Teresa Herrera Trophy. The absence raised a few eyebrows at first, but the reason was not medical.
Arancha Rodríguez said Bellingham had a shoot in London and had leave until Wednesday before returning to Spain. She also said he is expected back early and will train with the rest of the team tomorrow. Bellingham has already made 8 appearances in the 2026 season, so Madrid are clearly treating this as a controlled absence rather than a problem.
The London trip and the return plan
That is the key distinction here. The move away from training was planned, and the club had given him permission to stay in London for commercial work. Rodríguez’s wording was clear: “Bellingham had a shoot in London today. He has leave until Wednesday.”
The timing still matters because Madrid are in the middle of pre-season work, but the source material does not support any injury concern. It points the other way. Bellingham’s season rating of 7.77 underlines how important he already is, which is why even a short absence draws attention. The club, though, are managing a schedule, not reacting to a setback.
Mourinho had other players back in training
Rodríguez also said Kylian Mbappe, Diomande, Konate and Marc Cucurella had their first training session under Mourinho, while Aurelien Tchouameni joined the group too. Mbappe has 10 goals in 8 appearances, so his return to the pitch mattered as much as the names around him. Cucurella has already contributed 2 assists, another sign that Mourinho is getting useful pieces back into the build-up.
Bellingham’s case is different, and that is the point. His absence is brief, approved and tied to a shoot in London. Madrid expect him back on Wednesday, and he should be in the group for the next session after that.
Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →
