Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham is expected to finally have surgery this summer to fix a shoulder problem which has dogged him for the past 18 months, according to a report in Spain.

Bellingham has only missed 11 games through injury since joining Real Madrid in the summer of 2023. Just one of those absences was down to the shoulder problem he sustained during a goalless draw with Rayo Vallecano in November 2023.

The English midfielder landed awkwardly but was fit enough to finish the match. Carlo Ancelotti dismissed the issue at the time as “nothing serious” and after just one league game on the sidelines, Bellingham marked his return with a goal against Cadiz.

However, the issue has never been fully resolved. Between Real Madrid’s demands and a summer filled with England’s run to the final of Euro 2024, Bellingham has scarcely had any time to heal his shoulder, which is protected with extensive strapping for every match.

MARCA claim that “everything points” to this summer as being the time to finally undergo surgery to permanently fix his damaged joint.

Concerns were again raised at the start of the season when Bellingham appeared to dislocate his shoulder against Espanyol. There was no lasting damage as the player rejected any attempts to let him rest on the sidelines. Ancelotti again dismissed concerns over his star midfielder but did warn: “I don’t think it will be a problem, although it must be taken care of, obviously.”

Quite when Bellingham will go under the knife remains to be seen. There are no major international tournaments this summer but Real Madrid do have the inaugural edition of FIFA’s new Club World Cup to navigate. The expanded competition kicks off for the Spanish giants on 18 June against Al Hilal, three weeks after the conclusion of La Liga, and could feasibly stretch until 13 July.

Should Madrid reach the final, they would then have roughly a month before the new domestic season gets underway.

According to the NHS, at least the first four weeks after shoulder stabilisation surgery is spent with the patient’s arm exclusively in a sling.