Jude Bellingham made a fast start to life at Real Madrid and has now scored 21 goals for them in all competitions, while also assisting 10 times.
The 20-year-old has earned the plaudits from around the world and is is contention to become one of the youngest Ballon d’Or winners this year at the back of a sensational debut season with Los Blancos.
However, he has lately been criticised, especially for slow performances in Real Madrid’s Champions League quarter-final against Manchester City and then failing to be impactful in the semi-final first leg versus Bayern Munich earlier this week.
Madrid Universal explores the three reasons that have caused a decline in his form.
Real Madrid claimed a 4-0 success against Girona at the Santiago Bernabeu on February 11th, which helped them put one hand on their 36th La Liga trophy.
Jude Bellingham scored twice in the match but suffered a sprained ankle that laid him off the pitch for three weeks.
Bellingham missed a number of matches in a spell patch of the season and did not make a full recovery before being rushed back into the starting eleven against RB Leipzig in the second leg of Real Madrid’s round of 16 meeting in the European Cup.
His goal-scoring form has took a nosedive thereafter and Bellingham has been tasked with doing more of the creative work since then.
Being included in the England squad for two friendlies in March further derailed his recovery.
Real Madrid were on the wrong end of a refereeing controversy at the Mestalla.
Vinicius overturned a 2-0 deficit with a brace and Bellingham thought he had won the match with a stoppage time header, Gil Manzano had blown the final whistle merely a second before the ball reached the midfielder’s head within point-blank range of goal.
He received a two-match suspension after seeing a red card for heavily protesting the referee’s decision.
Immediately after an injury, the suspension saw him lose further ground in his bid to reintegrate into the squad.
With Real Madrid playing El Clasico and three crunch Champions League matches in April, Carlo Ancelotti had barely any time to circumspect Bellingham’s tactical reintroduction.
Jude Bellingham missed the last Real Madrid session prior to their visit to the Reale Arena but eventually made the squad despite suffering from a virus.
He did not play a single minute in San Sebastian in spite of boarding the flight with the rest of his teammates.
While he was available for the training sessions afterwards which happened to be prior to Real Madrid’s away trip to Bayern Munich, the former Borussia Dortmund youngster had to be withdrawn near the hour-mark after complaining of cramps.
He was far from his best at the Allianz Arena as well and attracted widespread criticism on social media as a result of his failure to extend a domestic goal-scoring in Europe.
Bellingham has been injured, ill, and suspended, all within just over a month. Yet, the player has made himself unconditionally available to both Carlo Ancelotti and Gareth Southgate.
Having been severely overworked, it is time for him to get a well-warranted rest.
With Real Madrid effectively wrapping up La Liga, it would be a good time to grant the Englishman a day off when they host Cadiz at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday, 4th May.