Carlo Ancelotti sets out new Real Madrid role for Jude Bellingham

Protecting Jude Bellingham is a key objective for Carlo Ancelotti and Real Madrid in the 2024/25 season.

Bellingham enjoyed a incredible first campaign in the Spanish capital as he clinched the La Liga Player of the Season after netting 19 league goals.

His wider Los Blancos numbers stretched out to 23 goals and 12 assists across all competitions as Ancelotti's team clinched a La Liga and UEFA Champions League double.

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However, despite sealing instant cult status amongst the notoriously demanding Real Madrid fans, the second half of Bellingham's 2023/24 season was heavily impacted by injury.

Six league goals since the start of 2024 tells the story of a dip, with a persistent shoulder injury a particular concern, which Real Madrid have looked to manage.

England's run to the final of Euro 2024 added more games and physical strain to Bellingham schedule with Ancelotti sanctioning an extended summer break for his No.5.

The former Borussia Dortmund star is now back in preseason training in Madrid, but Ancelotti and his coaches are hatching a plan to allow the 21-year-old to rediscover his optimal level as per Diario AS .

The Italian coach is expected to tell Bellingham he will play a reduced role in the opening weeks of the season, via a mix of starting and substitute appearances, as his fitness returns.

Bellingham bullish style will come into collision with Ancelotti's calculated nous but the latter always wins out in these scenarios.

The arrival of Kylian Mbappe also means a positional tweak for Bellingham, who operated in a No.10 role last season, as his goal tally flourished.

Anceotti will now revert to a 4-3-3 system, to accommodate Mbappe with Brazilian pair Rodrygo Goes and Vinicius Junior, with Bellingham withdrawn into a roaming No.8 slot alongside Eduardo Camavinga and Federico Valverde.