- Bellingham underwent shoulder surgery
- Alonso set to miss out on Englishman until October
- Coach already has a plan up his sleeve
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Getty/GOALIt 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
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Those that sign up for ExpressVPN's most popular plan, the Advance plan, gain access to a high-speed VPN, which offers high-capacity 40Gbps servers in many high-demand locations, with VPN servers in 113 countries worldwide.
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Protect 14 devices with the top ExpressVPN plan
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Those that sign up for ExpressVPN's top-tier Express Pro plan gain access to a high-speed VPN, which offers high-capacity 40Gbps servers in many high-demand locations, with VPN servers in 113 countries worldwide.
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Additionally, ExpressVPN's Advanced plan includes the ExpressMailGuard, which offers an unlimited private email relay plus an unlimited number of shared aliases and 20 custom domains, ExpressKeys, which gives users a password management facility for an unlimited number of passwords plus a 2FA authenticator, and ExpressAI, an AI assistant that offers 500 credits a day, six AI models, a web search facility plus 2GB storage.
There is a 30-day money-back guarantee for new users. The plan is available on a one-month rolling contract, although those that sign up for a 12-month plan (offering one year plus an extra three months) can save around 60%, while those that sign up for a two-year plan (offering two years plus an extra four months) can save 67%. Both longer-term plans include a 3GB holiday.com eSIM that is valid for five days in 150+ destinations.
Over 28 monthsSave 67%
Protect 10 devices with high-speed VPN
Basic
Those that sign up for ExpressVPN's entry-level Basic plan gain access to a high-speed VPN, which offers high-capacity 40Gbps servers in many high-demand locations, with VPN servers in 113 countries worldwide.
The VPN can be applied across 10 different devices simultaneously, and offers Lite Protection that blocks ads and malicious and adult websites. A dedicated IP is available to be purchased as an add-on.
Additionally, ExpressVPN's Basic plan includes the ExpressMailGuard, which offers a 10MB/month private email relay plus 10 shared aliases.
There is a 30-day money-back guarantee for new users. The plan is available on a one-month rolling contract, although those that sign up for a 12-month plan (offering one year plus an extra three months) can save more than 60%, while those that sign up for a two-year plan (offering two years plus an extra four months) can save 80%.
Over 28 monthsSave 80%
Advanced protection across 11 devices with high-speed VPN
Advanced
Those that sign up for ExpressVPN's most popular plan, the Advance plan, gain access to a high-speed VPN, which offers high-capacity 40Gbps servers in many high-demand locations, with VPN servers in 113 countries worldwide.
The VPN can be applied across 12 different devices simultaneously, and offers Advanced Protection that blocks ads, trackers and malicious and adult websites. A dedicated IP is available to be purchased as an add-on.
Additionally, ExpressVPN's Advanced plan includes the ExpressMailGuard, which offers a 100MB/month private email relay plus 50 shared aliases and a custom domain, and ExpressKeys, which gives users a password management facility for an unlimited number of passwords plus a 2FA authenticator.
There is a 30-day money-back guarantee for new users. The plan is available on a one-month rolling contract, although those that sign up for a 12-month plan (offering one year plus an extra three months) can save more than 60%, while those that sign up for a two-year plan (offering two years plus an extra four months) can save 73%. Both longer-term plans include a 3GB holiday.com eSIM that is valid for three days in 150+ destinations.
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Getty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE
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.
AFPWHAT NEXT FOR REAL MADRID?
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.
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