Real Madrid is reportedly frustrated with how England handled star midfielder Jude Bellingham during the recent international break. According to Spanish outlet Marca, the club views his call-up as unnecessary after he remained an unused substitute in England's 1-1 draw with Uruguay and 1-0 loss to Japan.

England manager Thomas Tuchel defended the decision, stating he didn't want to "take any risks" with Bellingham, who recently returned from a hamstring injury sustained in February. However, from Madrid's perspective, valuable time that could have been spent building match fitness through actual game minutes was instead spent solely in training.

This timing is particularly delicate for Los Blancos. Bellingham made his return from injury in the dramatic 3-2 win over Atletico Madrid just before the break, and the season is reaching its critical climax. He now has only a league match against Real Mallorca to find his rhythm before a massive Champions League quarter-final first leg against Bayern Munich at the Bernabéu.

His place in the starting lineup is no longer automatic. Manager Álvaro Arbeloa has recently favored a midfield quartet of Aurélien Tchouaméni, Federico Valverde, Arda Güler, and the emerging talent Thiago Pitarch. This group has been instrumental in a five-game winning streak, including the impressive Champions League victory over Manchester City.

If Bellingham is to be reinstated, the young Pitarch seems the most likely to make way. As Madrid push for a La Liga and Champions League double, all eyes will be on whether their talismanic midfielder can quickly recapture the form that saw him contribute 10 goals and assists in 29 appearances before his injury.