Bellingham will be absent from Real Madrid’s squad this afternoon (Picture: Getty)
Real Madrid will have to contend without Jude Bellingham for today’s La Liga clash with Celta Vigo.
The 20 year-old is Madrid’s top goalscorer this season, having found the back of the net 20 times for the Spanish giants so far this term.
But the former Birmingham City academy graduate will be forced to watch from the sidelines at the Bernabeu today, as Los Blancos continue their pursuit of yet another La Liga title.
Why is Jude Bellingham not playing for Real Madrid today?
Bellingham will be absent from Real Madrid’s game vs Celta Vigo having been sent off in the previous La Liga match.
Bellingham was given his marching orders vs Valencia (Picture: Getty)
With their game away to Valencia tied at 2-2, Real Madrid thought they had completed their comeback from 2-0 down when Bellingham headed home in the sixth minute of added time.
However, the referee had blown for full-time just as Brahim Diaz was delivering his cross into the box.
An understandably furious Bellingham then confronted referee Gil Manzano along with his equally stunned teammates, but the England international was shown a red card for his protestations.
The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) has said Bellingham showed ‘contempt or disregard’ towards the referee after the game had ended.
Bellingham, who had only just returned after three weeks on the sidelines with an ankle injury, was fined €600 (£513) and Real Madrid €700 (£598).
Madrid appealed the red card but the RFEF disciplinary committee dismissed their argument and insisted Manzano had not made an ‘error’.
Bellingham’s two game ban will also see him miss the clash with Osasuna the following weekend.
Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti leapt to his midfielder’s defence after the game and argued the red card was undeserved.
It has been a frustrating few weeks for the midfielder (Picture: Getty)
‘I don’t need to talk to Bellingham,’ Ancelotti told reporters. ‘He is a player who tries to give everything on the field.
‘I think the red card was wrong. He was frustrated but he didn’t make any kind of insult.’
Bellingham, who played the full 90 minutes of Madrid’s Champions League game with Leipzig on Wednesday night, will return to league action against Athletic Club on March 31.