Carlo Ancelotti provides update on Jude Bellingham's fitness ahead of UCL clash against Atletico Madrid

Bellingham returned to the lineup after a two-match ban.

Prior to their Champions League round of 16 second-leg matchup with Atletico Madrid, Jude Bellingham hobbled off in Real Madrid’s 2-1 victory over Rayo Vallecano. But head coach Carlo Ancelotti maintains the midfielder is only recovering from “a small knock.”

Bellingham, an England international, was substituted in the Blancos’ most recent LaLiga match, four minutes before the end, raising concerns about injuries. Brahim Diaz took his place, as the former Dortmund player seemed a little uneasy as he walked to the bench.

It raised doubts over the midfielder’s availability for their game in the Champions League during the midweek.

After serving a two-match suspension for telling a match official to “f*ck off,” Bellingham was back in Real Madrid’s starting lineup against Vallecano. He was named in the starting lineup as Real Madrid won by a slim margin at Santiago Bernabeu, thanks to a spectacular solo effort by Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe’s 29th goal of the season.

While England will be worried about the 21-year-old’s health as they are set to announce the squad for World Cup qualifier matches against Latvia, Ancelotti will hope to have Bellingham available for two important games before the next international break. In response to a request for a fitness update, Real’s manager told reporters:

“Jude Bellingham just has a small knock, nothing serious.”

Their win over Vallecano saw them get level on points with Barcelona. However, the Madrid team remain second in the table due to poorer goal differential.

Bellingham’s presence will be important for their game against Atletico, as Los Blancos will hope to defend their lead going into the second leg of the competition and secure their place in the quarterfinal of the tournament.

Real Madrid lead 2-1 going into Wednesday’s second leg of their Champions League last-16 matchup against cross-city rivals Atletico. After that, on Saturday, they will go to Villarreal. Then the club matches will come to a halt. Many Los Blancos stars will feature for their national teams in the international break.

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