Niko Kovac explained why Jude Bellingham has little playing time in Dortmund.

Reasons for Jude Bellingham's limited playing time

According to The Sun: The head coach of Borussia Dortmund, Niko Kovac, explained why Jude Bellingham is struggling to get playing time this season.

The 19-year-old player came from Sunderland to Dortmund in the summer, following in the footsteps of his older brother Jude Bellingham, who now plays for Real Madrid. The transfer cost the club 26.9 million pounds.

Despite the fact that Jude has participated in all six BVB matches, he has spent only 221 minutes on the pitch out of a possible 540.

Kovac noted that Bellingham's limited playing time is due to the tough competition in the team, as players like Felix Nmecha and Marcel Sabitzer are the preferred options.

Kovac told Kicker: 'Everyone wants to play every minute, but you need 11 players for that.'

'When you sign a contract here, it doesn't just mean you're well paid, but also that there's a lot of competition.'

The coach emphasized that Jude is 'a very talented player', but he obviously comes from the English second division. This means that the new player, who has spent four years in the Championship, has not yet fully reached the required level for the Bundesliga.

Kovac pointed out that the young footballer needs to 'grow' to keep up with the team and meet the high demands.

Kovac added: '[Jude is a player], who has great potential, but he is a player who has to naturally grow through these games in this sport.'

'One must not place too high expectations on him, despite the name.'

'I think that does not help the boy, and the boy does not help himself.'

Jude notes that during his time at Sunderland, he scored 11 goals and provided 4 assists in 90 matches.

It is worth noting that the competition at Borussia Dortmund is extremely high, and talented young players like Bellingham need to work hard to earn a spot in the starting eleven. This experience could be an important step for his development as a professional footballer. It is important that Jude not only meets the demands of the Bundesliga but also continues to improve and use this situation to his advantage.