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Jude Bellingham has played for England at three major international tournaments
Real Madrid are waiting to discover if midfielder Jude Bellingham faces a spell out after he suffered a muscle injury during the 2-1 win against Rayo Vallecano.
The England international, 22, was in tears as he was replaced by Brahim Diaz, having appeared to injure his left hamstring less than 10 minutes into the La Liga match at the Bernabeu.
England play friendlies against Uruguay on 27 March and Japan on 31 March before manager Thomas Tuchel names his World Cup squad in May.
Real manager Alvaro Arbeloa said he “didn’t know anything” about the severity of the injury.
“Jude was in perfect condition to play and has given everything,” he said.
“It’s a very important loss, but I have an extraordinary squad.
“Let’s not forget that there are 17 players here who were European champions a year-and-a-half ago. With them, we will overcome whatever situations come our way.”
If injury rules Bellingham out of the March international break, it could be a crushing blow to his chances of making it into England’s starting XI for the World Cup opener against Croatia on 17 June.
For the past 12 months he has been locked in a battle with Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers for a place in Tuchel’s 4-2-3-1 system.
But at the moment it would be fair to say Rogers, the Professional Footballers’ Association Young Player of the Year last season, is leading the race by some distance.
The 23-year-old was a cornerstone of the England side that achieved record-breaking success in the World Cup qualifiers. They scored 20 goals and did not concede in eight matches.
Rogers’ bid to claim pole position in time for the World Cup was aided by Bellingham’s last spell on the sidelines, which meant he missed the September and October international breaks.
Bellingham and Rogers have had contrasting seasons. Rogers has become the talisman and focal point of a Villa side who are in the hunt for Champions League football.
Bellingham, on the other hand, has been booed by Real supporters at the Bernabeu in recent weeks, and manager Xabi Alonso was sacked this month.
A spell on the sidelines is the last thing Bellingham needs at such a crucial time of the season. (BBC)
