Jude Bellingham has made a surprise return to Real Madrid’s squad just weeks after shoulder surgery, setting up a potentially awkward Champions League reunion with Mason Greenwood.
The England midfielder, 22, had been expected to be out until next month after going under the knife but has been named in Xabi Alonso’s 23-man group for Tuesday’s opener against Marseille at the Bernabeu.
That selection puts him on course to face Greenwood, who joined the French side from Manchester United in the summer after a season on loan at Getafe.
Their last meeting in Spain ended in controversy, with reports claiming Bellingham called Greenwood a ‘rapist’ during a heated La Liga clash between Madrid and Getafe in February 2024.
He was reported to league bosses and faced a potential ban before Greenwood intervened to urge the investigation be dropped, although the bad blood between the pair may not have dissipated 19 months on.
Bellingham will be eager to focus on football after a summer spent on the treatment table and his rapid return is a major boost for Madrid as they launch their bid for a record-extending 16th European crown.
Jude Bellingham has made a surprise return to Real Madrid’s squad just weeks after shoulder surgery
Bellingham’s selection puts him on course to face Mason Greenwood, with whom he clashed with in their last meeting
Greenwood, meanwhile, is looking to rebuild his career abroad. The 23-year-old left Old Trafford permanently after United decided not to reintegrate him following his 2022 arrest and the subsequent dropping of charges.
His form this season at Marseille, with two goals in three games, has been encouraging and built on his impressive debut campaign.
Tuesday’s game marks Alonso’s first Champions League fixture in charge of Madrid. The former Liverpool midfielder won the competition as a player in 2005 and has overseen an encouraging start in La Liga with his side top after four wins from five games.
While Bellingham’s place in the side is secure, another England international is in a more delicate position.
Trent Alexander-Arnold has started only two of the club’s four league matches since leaving Liverpool for the Bernabeu in July.
Veteran Dani Carvajal remains Alonso’s preferred right-back and the coach’s glowing praise for Carvajal’s leadership last week will not have filled the 26-year-old with confidence that he will start against Marseille.
