Real Madrid's Bellingham out for a month with hamstring injury

MADRID, Feb 1 : Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham is set to miss around a month of action after suffering a hamstring injury during their 2-1 LaLiga victory over Rayo Vallecano on Sunday, the club confirmed.

The 22-year-old England midfielder was forced off after nine minutes at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Bellingham pulled up awkwardly while chasing a long ball and immediately clutched the back of his left thigh. Despite walking off the pitch, he was visibly upset, leaving the field in tears.

The injury comes at a crucial point in the season for second-placed Real Madrid, who trail league leaders Barcelona by one point in the standings. Madrid face a challenging schedule in Bellingham's absence, starting with an away trip to Valencia next Sunday.

Perhaps most significantly, Bellingham is expected to miss Real Madrid's two-legged Champions League knockout playoff tie against Portuguese side Benfica later this month.