Bellingham is on the verge of a breakthrough against his favourite opponent

According to Spanish newspaper AS, English star Jude Bellingham is set to return to the starting line-up 67 days after his last outing, following his impressive showing against Bayern Munich. Girona are one of his favourite targets, having scored four goals in as many matches against them.

Manager Álvaro Arbeloa has expressed confidence that the midfielder will make an immediate impact, both tonight and in the fixtures ahead, describing his cameo against Bayern as the final test needed to secure a starting berth.

His recent outing showed the physical and technical strides he has made, delivering an agile, intelligent performance against the Bavarian giants. excelling in aerial duels and boasting a 94% passing accuracy that convinced the coaching staff of his full readiness.

He had previously logged 16 minutes against Atlético Madrid and 31 minutes versus Mallorca, building toward the full performance against Bayern that proved his readiness.

Girona is a particularly favourable opponent for the English star, as he boasts a perfect scoring record against them, having netted four goals in as many matches—the same tally he has against Barcelona and Sevilla, but with greater efficiency given the smaller sample size.

That return—and the efficiency behind it—has coaches confident Bellingham can rediscover his best form at a crucial stage of the campaign.

Bellingham’s return is welcome, yet it poses a tactical dilemma for Arbeloa over his best position. Several midfielders excelled during his absence—notably Arda Güler, Fede Valverde and holding midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni—so the coach must now strike the right balance.

The challenge is to strike the right midfield balance, and while the manager calls it a “happy problem”, he insists Bellingham will remain indispensable.

Bellingham’s season has been repeatedly disrupted by injuries. It began with a shoulder problem that needed surgery after the Club World Cup and disrupted his pre-season. Although he showed flashes of brilliance, particularly between October and December, when he scored five goals and provided four assists, he suffered a further setback following a hamstring injury in the match against Rayo Vallecano, which kept him sidelined for nine games.

In total, he missed 13 matches, which inevitably disrupted his rhythm, before embarking on a gradual return to form that peaked with a standout performance against Bayern Munich. He is now poised to reclaim his place in the starting line-up and guide his side through the season’s decisive final stretch.