Jude Bellingham to return for Real Madrid’s Champions League opener

Jude Bellingham has been included in the Real Madrid squad for tomorrow night’s Champions League clash with Stuttgart at the Santiago Bernabéu.

The England midfielder has missed Madrid’s last four games – as well as the Three Lions’ recent Nations League doubleheader against the Republic of Ireland and Finland – due to a calf injury sustained in training last month.

Bellingham enjoyed a wonderful first season in Madrid, scoring 23 goals in 42 games to help them to a league and Champions League double, and his return, along with that of fellow midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni, is a welcome boost for Ancelotti.

Defender Eder Militao is also expected to be fit to face the Bundesliga side despite missing training today.

Ancelotti said: “Bellingham is fine, like Tchouameni and Militao… who has not trained today because he needed one more day of recovery. The team is pretty good.”

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Madrid are four points behind arch-rivals Barcelona in La Liga after drawing two of their opening five games but Ancelotti attributes that to the late arrival of several squad players following this summer’s European Championship and Copa America.

He added: “We could have two more points, but we are where we wanted to be. We knew that we could have some problems, because some have arrived on August 9. Before, the pre-seasons were five weeks, which is what a player needs to prepare well for the season. 

“If you count from August 9, the five weeks are today. This has been a ‘pre-season period’. Now it’s time to evolve well and compete like last year.”

Ancelotti demands fewer fixtures

Ancelotti also blamed the hectic schedule for so many injuries to his squad.

He said: “We have looked at what can be done, but it is not in our hands. The calendar is too demanding. 

“If the governing bodies don’t start thinking that the players get injured because they play too much, we have a problem. I ask that the number of matches be reduced to have more attractive competitions.”