Jude Bellingham reinstated into Real Madrid's first team for Sociedad clash after personal request: Reports

Jude Bellingham has been included in Real Madrid's squad who travel for their encounter with Real Sociedad in La Liga tonight (April 26).

The in-form 20-year-old midfielder was initially left out of the squad due to gastroenteritis. It appeared Madrid would face Sociedad without their top scorer.

However, Real Madrid's official X (formerly Twitter) account posted an updated squad list for the game at Reale Arena. Bellingham replaced Rodrygo in Carlo Ancelotti's 20-man squad for a clash that has massive title implications.

The Athletic reports that Bellingham contacted Ancelotti and requested his last-minute inclusion for Friday night's game. The 29-cap England international missed training on Thursday but rested and has seemingly fully recovered from illness.

Jude Bellingham wil be eager to steer Real Madrid to the La Liga title which they could win by next Tuesday. Ancelotti's side will be crowned champions if they beat Sociedad and Barcelona lose to Valencia on Monday (April 29).

Los Blancos face Erreala who could be tricky opposition as they've performed well under Imanol Alguacil this season. His side sit sixth in La Liga and are unbeaten in their last five games.

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Carlo Ancelotti thinks Real Madrid duo Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Junior should win the Ballon d'Or

Carlo Ancelotti feels two of his Real Madrid stars deserve the Ballon d'Or.

Real Madrid could finish the season with a treble should they become La Liga champions as expected. They are also in the UEFA Champions League semifinals, facing Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich. The first leg is away at the Allianz Arena on April 30 and the second at home at the Santiago Bernabeu on May 8.

Jude Bellingham has been crucial for Los Blancos on their quest for trophy success. He's registered 21 goals and 10 assists in 36 games across competitions since arriving from Borussia Dortmund for €103 million last summer.

However, Vinicius Junior has been just as impressive, racking up 19 goals and 11 assists in 32 games across competitions. The Brazilian scored an iconic hat-trick in a 4-1 win against Barcelona in the Supercopa de Espana final (January 14).

Ancelotti hailed both of his attackers by insisting they should share the 2024 Ballon d'Or award (via The Real Champs):

"The Ballon d’Or should go to Bellingham and Vinicius."

Jude Bellingham has already won individual honors this season as he was named the 2023 Golden Boy winner. He also picked up the Laureus Breakthrough of the Year award last week on the night after scoring the winner in a 3-2 win against Barca.