Jude Bellingham injury severity emerges after England star was left in tears as World Cup approaches

His reaction sparked fears that he could be sidelined for a lengthy period.

Now, however, Bellingham is only expected to miss around a month - giving England a substantial boost as the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada creeps closer.

His absence will, however, be a blow for Madrid.

Los Blancos are currently competing with Barcelona for the LaLiga title and have five matches pencilled in for this month.

Valencia are next up on Sunday, with two matches against Benfica - as well as fixtures against Real Sociedad and Osasuna - to play.

Bellingham's involvement in this summer's World Cup is up in the air, regardless of whether or not the 22-year-old stays fit.

While he was a regular under Gareth Southgate, he's found regular game time far tougher since the appointment of Thomas Tuchel.

Tuchel previously said that his own mother had been left 'repulsed' by Bellingham's petulance on the field at times.

The former Borussia Dortmund and Birmingham star is believed to be behind Morgan Rogers in Tuchel's pecking order at present, too.

Meanwhile, Real's 2-1 win over Vallecano on Sunday means they remain just a point behind Barcelona at the top of the table.

Vinicius Jr's early goal was chalked off by Jorge de Frutos in the 49th minute, only for Kylian Mbappe to score a penalty at the death to secure all three points.

Speaking after the win, Real boss Alvaro Arbeloa said: "I'm no Gandalf the White. What I wanted from my players is what I'm seeing: commitment and attitude.

"The effort they showed today has to continue. This is Real Madrid, and we need to do more than the other teams to win.

"I'm sure Valencia will play the game of the year at home, and to win it, we'll have to play very well."

On the late penalty that was awarded, he added: "I did agree with the sending-off (Pathe Ciss), I've been told the penalty was clear, and the nine minutes of added time should have been longer.

"There are teams that need a minute just to take a goal kick at the Bernabéu."

Real supporters jeered during the clash - but Arbeloa refused to criticise them.

"I will always respect the Bernabéu crowd. I understand where we've come from and where we were," he said.

"From there, the players have shown a very strong mentality.

"We have to keep working. There's nothing else to it."