Carlo Ancelotti hints at Jude Bellingham role change as Real Madrid face Manchester United

Carlo Ancelotti has suggested he may use Jude Bellingham as a No.10 for Real Madrid as they prepare to face Manchester United on Thursday morning.

United face Madrid at the NRG Stadium in Houston at 1.30am UK time as they continue their pre-season tour of the United States. Erik ten Hag's came out 2-0 winners over Arsenal in New Jersey over the weekend, while a younger side took on Wrexham in San Diego in the early hours of Wednesday.

Real Madrid kicked off their own summer campaign with a thrilling 3-2 win against AC Milan on Monday, with new signing Bellingham starting and excelling in a more advanced midfield role behind two strikers. And Ancelotti has suggested the 20-year-old could operate in a similar area in the future.

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“He is a fantastic player, very important," Ancelotti said of Bellingham. "A complete midfielder, who has a lot of intensity and moves very well without the ball.

“He is different from the other midfielders we have. He finds holes and adds something else to this team that has extraordinary quality.

“For the system we have used today, he will be the number 'ten', if we play with a 4-3-3 he will be inside on the right.

“For him, the best thing is to be a 'ten' because he is close to the area. It depends on the system. We have to wait a bit to find out how it goes during the season.

“If we play 4-3-3, the reference striker must be Rodrygo and on the outside we have Valverde, [Arda] Guler... We have options. We also have the option of playing with a midfielder and a striker, and in that case Bellingham-Rodrygo is the