Bellingham pulled up while chasing a ball down the right flank and immediately clutched his left thigh. The England international was visibly distressed as he limped off the pitch and was replaced by Brahim Diaz. Real Madrid later confirmed the problem was related to his left hamstring, with further tests planned to assess the severity.

"We don't know about Jude yet," Arbeloa said after the match. "He has made a great effort in every game since I've been here. It's a very important loss, but we have an extraordinary squad."

On the pitch, Madrid struggled for long periods in a tense contest. Vinicius Junior gave the hosts an early lead, but Rayo Vallecano responded through Jorge de Frutos. The visitors were reduced to nine men after two second-half red cards, yet Madrid still needed late drama to secure the points.

After nine minutes of added time, Kylian Mbappe scored from the penalty spot in the 100th minute to seal the win at the Bernabeu.

Arbeloa rejected suggestions that his side were fortunate to receive so much stoppage time. "It could have been more," he said. "Every time visiting teams take a goal kick here, it takes a minute."

The victory came against a tense backdrop, with parts of the Bernabeu crowd whistling the team before kick-off and again during a difficult second half, following Madrid's midweek Champions League defeat to Benfica. Bellingham and Vinicius were among the players targeted.

"I respect the Bernabeu crowd, and I'll always ask for their support," Arbeloa said.

Bellingham's injury is also a concern for England ahead of upcoming international fixtures, especially given his injury-hit season, which began late after shoulder surgery last summer.

Reflecting on his early spell in charge, Arbeloa added: "I'm not Gandalf the White. What I'm getting is what I wanted from my players: commitment and effort."

La Liga wrap: Atletico Madrid hammer Valencia