Carlo Ancelotti has admitted that Real Madrid are sweating over the fitness of midfielder Jude Bellingham after he was withdrawn late on in the Super Cup semi-final win over Mallorca.
In Thursday's 3-0 win, Bellingham showed real discomfort after appearing to strain a muscle. injuryalthough this did not prevent him from engaging in one brawl on the field after the game.
Bellingham's injury came 15 minutes after Federico Valverde limped off at the end of the half when emergency center back Aurelien Tchouameni was pulled off with a blow to the head.
Madrid face the El Clasico rivals Barcelona in the Super Cup final on Sunday. When asked if the injured trio would be fit enough to feature, Ancelotti initially tried to play down concerns about their conditions.
“I saw Tchouameni doing well on the bench,” said the Italian. “The doctor preferred to remove it because it was a blow to the head.
“Bellingham and Valverde… overload. We didn't expect the heat and, in my opinion, it affected the pace of the game.”
However, in a later interview with MovistarAncelotti revealed that both Bellingham and Valverde had complained of muscle strains.
“(Valverde) had a contagious strain, like Bellingham,” the boss revealed. “It was an unexpectedly hot game, it was very hot … and it could have affected both of them.”