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Can Bellingham make El Clasico statement with English sub-plot?
Jude Bellingham is already a hero among Real Madrid fans.
The 22-year-old midfielder has had a difficult start to the campaign after injury and growing questions around his place in England's World Cup squad.
But, as he prepares for Sunday's El Clasico against Barcelona, the former Birmingham City man will be determined to prove to everyone - including Three Lions boss Thomas Tuchel - he is still England's leading man in La Liga.
It is set to be the first El Clasico to feature two English players in opposition, with Barcelona's in-form forward Marcus Rashford set to face Bellingham.
The involvement of a third - Real full-back Trent Alexander-Arnold - is unlikely because of injury, as Madrid look to stretch their two-point lead at the top over their bitter rivals.
For Bellingham, an El Clasico provides the perfect stage to make a statement.
The defining fixture of Spanish football, there will be more than 80,000 fans packed inside the Bernabeu - the majority being passionate Madridistas.
And Bellingham will know Tuchel's eyes and the eyes of more than 650 million viewers will also be on him.
Since joining Real Madrid from Borussia Dortmund in 2023, Bellingham has won pretty much everything at club level - including La Liga and the Champions League.
And his standout performances haven't been limited to club football - his overhead kick in stoppage time against Slovakia at last year's Euros was just one example of him rising to the occasion for his country.
With 44 international caps, he has experience of three major tournaments, was part of the leadership group in the camp, and voted England men's player of the year for 2024-25 by supporters.
Yet Bellingham was left out Tuchel's squad for their wins over Wales and Latvia earlier in October.
The England manager insisted there was no personal issue between them, stressing the decision was purely about maintaining the core of the squad that had performed well during the September fixtures against Andorra and Serbia.
Tuchel said he will speak to Bellingham before the next camp in November - and it already seems inevitable the biggest story around that squad selection will be whether he gets recalled.
Bellingham has the perfect occasion to prove his worth when defending champions Barcelona visit.
Bellingham's start to the season was inevitably difficult, having had shoulder surgery in July for a long-standing injury he sustained in 2023.
He missed 63 days of training and playing, including five matches for Los Blancos.
In his first appearance back in late September, he was welcomed to the pitch with a huge roar as his return thrilled the Madridistas.
"Bellingham has nothing to prove on Sunday," said Real supporter Carlos Campillo. "He already does that with every game he plays in and every assist he makes. He doesn't have to prove anything to anyone but himself.
Fellow fan Juan Antonio Lillo added: "It's not a decisive game for him. He needs to keep picking up pace and getting a feel for the game. It's just one more step towards reaching the level he needs to be at and he'll get there sooner or later."
Since Bellingham's return, he has appeared in six more fixtures in all competitions, slowly increasing his minutes and trying to rediscover his best form.
For much of that stretch, however, his influence was limited - until this week, where his match-winning goal in the Champions League against Juventus reignited the Bernabeu's belief - and perhaps his too.
"It's a great feeling, a long time now since I've scored, a lot of time out and dreaming of that moment, back in the Champions League and against a big team", Bellingham told US broadcaster CBS after scoring his first goal of the season.
To score a winner here at home, it's unbelievable. I felt comfortable, really good. To play well was important, and to score the winning goal helps the team a lot.
Bellingham shone in his debut season at the Bernabeu, scoring 19 goals in La Liga, but his form dipped slightly in 2024–25 as Madrid finished the campaign without a major trophy.
"I didn't think last year was a disaster," he reflected. "[It was] still 15 goals, 14 assists, but I know the general feeling was that it was worse. But I was a part of that, how we didn't play as well last year.
There were still good moments, but not the level I want to play at, not the level like the first year. Now I've had my shoulder surgery, a new manager, he's got that shape, how we want to play.
Rashford, also bidding to earn a World Cup slot with England while on loan from Manchester United, will be experiencing an El Clasico for the first time, but Bellingham is an old hand.
"It's like playing in a final - a victory in El Clasico feels like that," Campillo said.
In his four El Clasico appearances, Bellingham has scored three times - two in his first and once in his second.
He became the first Real player to score in his first two La Liga Clasicos since Ruud van Nistelrooy in 2007 - a feat that quickly etched his name into the club's history books.
To date, he has played the full match in every fixture.
What better time than to work his magic against Barcelona once more?
Jude Bellingham's international break came at the right time. Xabi Alonso was happy to have him around, not only to help him regain full fitness but also to speak face to face about his role.
The manager sees Bellingham as a hybrid - part midfielder, part forward - operating just behind Vinicius Jr and Kylian Mbappe.
But Alonso's aim now is to recover the first version of Bellingham - the one who arrived in the box with perfect timing and scored freely.
Last season, the Englishman's role expanded so much that he was everywhere - and in the end, less effective. Alonso's message has been clear - do less to be more.
The statistics support that rethink - with Vinicius, Mbappe and Bellingham all starting, the team failed to win 17 of their 30 matches. There was not enough defending from the front, not enough harmony in attack
After the heavy 5-2 defeat by Atletico Madrid in September, Bellingham was left on the bench against Kairat Almaty and Villarreal. But following the international break, he returned to the starting line-up against Getafe and is expected to start against Barcelona.
Alongside Arda Guler, he will be central to giving the team greater fluidity and attacking threat. He is still not at his best, but recovering it is seen as key to a better Real Madrid.
Source: BBC
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