Bellingham made his return from surgery on Saturday as a late substitute in Real Madrid‘s win over Espanyol in La Liga. The England star was back in action for the first time since going under the knife in the summer to cure a long-standing shoulder injury. Bellingham was given a rapturous reception by Real Madrid fans when he took to the pitch in the 89th minute.
Bellingham’s physique has noticeably changed during his time on the sidelines, according to AS. The midfielder was asked to bulk up and gain muscle last season in a bid to protect his strengthen his shoulder and stop him from dislocating it again. He followed a specific training plan to gain muscle mass but that has now ended after his surgery. Real Madrid’s coaching team have decided they want Bellingham to slim down and lose muscle mass in order to be quicker, sharper and more aggressive when it comes to pressing.
Alonso welcomed Bellingham back at the weekend and clarified exactly how he plans to use the 22-year-old. He told reporters: “Jude’s position is as an attacking midfielder. He has an incredible range of movement, and the more we can find him, the better our performance. The Club World Cup was a different experience. With him and [Eduardo] Camavinga, we have two additional options, two top-class players.”
Real Madrid take on Levante on Tuesday and then face city rivals Atletico Madrid on Saturday in La Liga. According to AS Bellingham is aiming to be “100%” for the trip across the city and will be hoping to make his first start of the season against Diego Simeone’s side.
