India, Oct. 1 -- Real Madrid's key midfielder Jude Bellingham was not in the starting eleven for his team's Champions League game against Kazakhstan's Kairat Almaty. According to Bola VIP, the decision not to start Bellingham is purely a tactical one by manager Xabi Alonso.

The 22-year-old midfielder was part of the starting line-up on Saturday for the Madrid derby against Atletico Madrid, which his team lost. In that game, Bellingham was subbed off after 70 minutes, to be replaced by Rodrygo.

Bola VIP reports that this was the first start for the English player since coming back from a shoulder surgery in July. Apart from Bellingham, Federico Valverde was also on the bench, while Trent-Alexander Arnold and Dani Carvajal were missing fr...