Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti's big concern is Bellingham for this reason

Real Madrid have already turned the page and have put the elimination in the round of 16 of the Copa del Rey against Atletico Madrid behind them. Although they had the objective of competing in all the tournaments of the season, the least important title was precisely the Copa del Rey, considering that they already won it last year.

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Now they will focus on La Liga and the Champions League. The latter is the main challenge they have, but the first leg of the round of 16 against RB Leipzig is still several weeks away. So for now Los Merengues' main concern is to stay near the top of the Spanish league standings. At the moment they have 51 points, one less than leaders Girona. But they also have a match pending, as they did not play Getafe because they were in Saudi Arabia playing the Super Cup. They will catch up on February 1, which means they are depending on themselves to become the tournament leaders.

However, for that to happen they must first win their next match: this Saturday they will travel to Gran Canaria to face Las Palmas. It will be a difficult challenge for them, as Los Amarillos have had excellent performances this season and are very close to the qualification zone for international tournaments.

And that will not be Carlo Ancelotti's only problem. The Italian coach will also have to find a solution to the absence of Jude Bellingham. The midfielder was booked for the fifth time in La Liga 2023/24 last Sunday, in the 3-2 victory over Almeria. So now he will have to serve a one-match suspension and will not be able to be part of the team against Las Palmas.

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What will the manager do?

Carlo Ancelotti will have to decide what is the best way to replace Bellingham. If he decides to keep the same tactical system, he will include a midfielder like Luka Modric or Eduardo Camavinga. But he could also opt for a more attacking midfielder and choose Brahim Diaz or Arda Guler. The last alternative could be a centre-forward like Joselu.