It takes two to replace Jude Bellingham! Xabi Alonso settles on young duo to fill Real Madrid star's role as coach eyes tactical shake-up after England international's surgery

One would imagine that Alonso would be having a big headache following Bellingham's successful shoulder surgery, which will keep him out of action for the next three months. However, the Spanish manager has already found a potential solution for replacing the void left by Bellingham. It seems that he will be counting on not one, but two young stars to shoulder the burden.

According to a report from AS, Alonso has decided that he will play both Arda Guler and new signing Franco Mastantuono in the starting XI, until Bellingham returns. During the Club World Cup, Guler started five of the six games and was used by Alonso as a deep-lying midfielder. While Alonso has admitted in press conferences that the Turkish talent can improve a lot, the 20-year-old certainly transitioned into his new role seamlessly, showing incredible promise.

On the other hand, Mastantuono will not be arriving in the Spanish capital until August 14. It is expected that he will take time to adapt, especially since he is arriving from South America. However, playing Mastantuono could provide a lot of on-field tactical flexibility to the former Bayer Levernkusen boss. Indeed, the Argentine teenager can play both on the right wing, as well as attacking midfielder.

Apart from the aforementioned duo, Alonso is eagerly anticipating the return of Eduardo Camavinga, who has been battling severe fitness issues and missed almost half the games last season. His return could help Alonso use one of Guler and Mastantuono in advanced midfield roles.

Bellingham underwent surgery on his shoulder on Wednesday, with Madrid announcing that the 22-year-old will remain on the sidelines for the next 10 to 12 weeks. The operation was long overdue, with Bellingham carrying shoulder issues since late 2023. In an encounter against Rayo Vallecano in November, Bellingham suffered a dislocation on his left shoulder, which prompted him to miss the next four games. He did, however, return to the pitch thereafter, but used a shoulder brace to battle through the pain.

After reaching the semi-finals of the Club World Cup, Alonso & Co. will return to pre-season training after two weeks, with their first game of the 2025-26 season set to be played on August 19 against Osasuna.