Real Madrid scraped a narrow 2-1 victory against Rayo Vallecano on Sunday, but the win was overshadowed by an early injury to Jude Bellingham. The England international midfielder was forced off the pitch in the 9th minute after clutching his left hamstring. The extent of the injury is yet to be determined, but reports suggest he could be sidelined for a month if it's a serious hamstring tear.

The match at the Santiago Bernabéu began with high intensity, but the atmosphere quickly turned tense when Bellingham went down injured. After chasing a through ball from Franco Mastantuono, Bellingham pulled up, visibly in pain, and signaled to the bench that he couldn't continue. He was replaced by Brahim Diaz in the 10th minute.

Despite the setback, Real Madrid took the lead in the 16th minute through Vinícius Júnior, who ended his La Liga goal drought with a stunning strike. The Brazilian winger showcased his skill, cutting past defenders before curling a right-footed shot into the top corner of the net.

Rayo Vallecano, however, responded strongly in the second half. Jorge de Frutos, a former Real Madrid player, equalized in the 49th minute, firing a half-volley past Thibaut Courtois. The goal sparked anger from the home fans, who had already been critical of the team following their recent 4-2 defeat to Benfica in the Champions League.

The game remained evenly contested until the 80th minute when Rayo Vallecano's Pathé Ciss was shown a straight red card for a harsh tackle on Dani Ceballos. In the 99th minute, Real Madrid was awarded a penalty after Nobel Mendy clumsily challenged Brahim Diaz in the box. Kylian Mbappé stepped up and calmly converted the spot-kick, securing a vital three points for his team. Rayo Vallecano's Pep Chavarría was also sent off before the final whistle.

The victory allowed Real Madrid to close the gap on Barcelona to just one point in the La Liga title race. However, the injury to Jude Bellingham casts a shadow over the win, with the midfielder now potentially facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines. Bellingham will undergo tests on Monday to determine the full extent of the hamstring injury. He is likely to miss La Liga matches against Valencia, Osasuna, Real Sociedad and Getafe. If the injury is a hamstring tear, he could also miss Real Madrid's Champions League knockout round playoff against Benfica on February 17 and 25.