Madrid, Spain
Shey you don hear am? Fit-again England midfielder Jude Bellingham don finally make am back to Real Madrid‘s squad for their opening Champions League match against Marseille wey go happen next Tuesday. E don deal with shoulder wahala for July and since then, na so him dey watch from sidelines. (No be easy matter, but we go see wetin happen now!)
Bellingham, wey dey just 22 years old, don suffer this shoulder gbege since early 2023 when e dislocated am for match against Rayo Vallecano. After serious rehab, e don come back to train last week and now na him dey included for coach Xabi Alonso‘s 23-man squad. (Chai! This guy don suffer oh!)
Real Madrid go need hin skills wella as dem dey prepare for this match. E don join Real from Dortmund for whopping £115m two years ago, and during im first season for Madrid, e score 23 goals in 43 appearances, winning La Liga and the Champions League. (Talk about good investment! No wonder dem dey call am ‘star boy’.)
Last season though, e and im team no fit win league title as Barcelona carry am go, plus dem lose for Champions League quarter-finals to Arsenal. E go dey interesting to see if e fit turn e season around with dis comeback.
Another Englishman, Trent Alexander-Arnold, dey also inside the squad but e get small gbege to fight with Dani Carvajal for starting position. Alonso don talk say Carvajal’s competitive spirit and leadership na wetin dey help the team. E say Carvajal dey back fit and his presence dey boost morale. (Players like am no dey grow on trees oh!)
As for how both teams go take line up for this major clash, Madrid dey hot, having won their last match against Real Sociedad. Marseille on the other hand dey come from a 4-0 victory over Lorient. Dem go need to show strong form to clash against Madrid for the iconic Santiago Bernabeu.
Bellingham and Camavinga dey match fit, but Alonso still dey careful about rushing dem back to full action. The squad dey ready but with injury concerns for Ferland Mendy and Antonio Rudiger, e go be like say room for mishap dey less.
Marseille meanwhile, dey travel with almost full squad. But dem go miss Amine Gouiri, wey get head injury, while dem get quality players like Mason Greenwood and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang inside the mix. (Wetin happen for back of that guy wey dey always show face for everything?)
Meanwhile, De Zerbi for Marseille don talk say dem need to dey cautious about Madrid’s attacking players as dem go try to control possession of the game. Inside im words, ‘Possession na key na.’ (No be small talk oh, we dey wait make dem prove am!)
As we dey look forward to wetin the match fit bring, one thing we sabi be say dis na game wey all eyes go dey on, and Bellingham fit shine pass as dem dey find their footing in this competition. (Fingers crossed for some drama!)
Do you have a news tip for NNN? Please email us at editor@nnn.ng
