Jude Bellingham is unlikely to play for England in their European Championship qualifiers against Malta at Wembley and North Macedonia away, according to Carlo Ancelotti.
A shoulder injury forced the midfielder to pull out of the Madrid squad for their 5-1 victory over Valencia on Saturday night and, although the Madrid manager confirmed he would travel in order to be assessed by England’s doctors, he said he should not play.
Bellingham suffered the injury when he fell trying to control a low ball with his chest in the first half against Rayo Vallecano last Sunday. Despite playing the full 90 minutes with strapping applied to his shoulder, the midfielder was left out of Madrid’s Champions League meeting with Braga in midweek.
He was then included in the squad for Saturday’s visit from Valencia, with Ancelotti saying he was “comfortable” that “unless something strange happens he will play”. He was withdrawn in the hours before the game, however.
“He will go to be evaluated but I expect him back [in Spain] again quickly,” Ancelotti said after the game. “If he didn’t play today, he can’t play with England. He has to do specific work to strengthen his shoulder and he will do that in the coming weeks. After the international break I think he will be able to play again.”
England have already qualified for Euro 2024 but are looking to secure a place as one of the top six seeds for the finals in Germany.
