Bellingham in Real Madrid return for Marseille tie

Fit-again England midfielder Jude Bellingham has been named in Real Madrid's squad for Tuesday's opening Champions League fixture against Marseille.

The 22-year-old had surgery on a long-standing shoulder issue in July and has not played since the summer's Fifa Club World Cup.

Bellingham has struggled with the problem since 2023, when he dislocated his shoulder in a game against Rayo Vallecano.

He returned to training last week and has now been included in coach Xabi Alonso's 23-man squad for the match at the Bernabeu.

Bellingham joined Real from Borussia Dortmund for £115m two years ago and won the La Liga title and Champions League in his first season, scoring 23 goals in 43 appearances.

He scored 15 goals in 58 games last season, with Los Blancos losing the league title to Barcelona and knocked out of the Champions League in the quarter-finals by Arsenal.

Bellingham's fellow Englishman Trent Alexander-Arnold is also in the squad for the visit of the Ligue 1 side.

Former Liverpool defender Alexander-Arnold played the last eight minutes of their 2-1 win over Real Sociedad at the weekend having struggled to displace experienced Spain full-back Dani Carvajal in the starting line-up.

Alonso said Carvajal's "competitive spirit" and "the influence he holds as a captain" are a vital asset for Real.

"He [Carvajal] was still recovering while we were in the United States, but now he's fit enough to play, you can see what a positive impact he has on everyone around him," added Alonso.

"We need to have those kinds of leaders in a dressing room, they're crucial. Carva is an example of that. There are lots of others and we need that strong core to guide the rest."