The injury woes continue for Real Madrid right forward Gareth Bale, who will miss the club’s upcoming fixtures against Espanyol and Club Brugge.
After missing the first two practices sessions of the week following Real Madrid’s 2-1 win over Deportivo Alaves on Saturday, Gareth Bale was a doubt for Real’s upcoming fixture against Espanyol on Dec. 7.
According to a new report from AS, Bale has been diagnosed with a bruised hamstring injury, meaning he joins Eden Hazard and Marcelo as the latest Real Madrid stars to be out with injuries.
Unlike Hazard and Marcelo, however, Bale has a chance to play against FC Barcelona on Dec. 18. That said, he will be out against Espanyol and will also miss Real’s final Champions League group stage fixture on Dec. 11 against Club Brugge.
It seems like Bale and Real want to avoid any risks with this hamstring injury.
Firstly, that’s the best policy since Bale is 30 and has a history of injuries, including a couple of issues this season. He had just made a return to injury during this past international break.
Secondly, avoiding risks before El Clasico is crucial. Real are already missing Hazard, so if Bale and Hazard were out against Real, the club would be forced to start two teenagers in Rodrygo and Vinicius Junior or replace one of them – likely Vini –for Isco.
Bale is an important part of Real’s attack, and he provided sparks off the bench recently against Real Sociedad and PSG, showing quality against two great teams. He struggled to get involved in his start against Alaves, but, by and large, he’s been effective when on the pitch.
Hopefully, Bale will have recovered by his hamstring injury in time to face Barcelona, since he could help make the difference with a moment of brilliance. Hazard’s injury has made Bale’s health all the more important to Real in December, as Hazard could be out for some time with a fracture in his ankle.