Real Madrid midfielder Gareth Bale’s injury comes at the worse possible time for Los Blancos, and ESPN reports he will miss out the next three weeks .
The 25-year-old Welshman has been the target of angry fans lately and is rumored to be the object of a trade to the Premier League . However, his worth to the team is indisputable. After a period of adjustment following his expensive move to La Liga, Bale has found form and is excelling under the guidance of teammate and friend Cristiano Ronaldo.
The striker left the match against Málaga this past weekend — which Real Madrid won 3-1 — only five minutes into the game. On Monday, the club put out a statement confirming Gareth Bale’s injury.
“Following tests carried out on Gareth Bale at the Sanitas La Moraleja Hospital by the Real Madrid Medical Services, he has been diagnosed with a muscle injury in his left soleus. His progress will be monitored.”
Bale’s injury is a major blow for manager Carlo Ancelotti and his teammates because he is not the only one who will be missing in action on Wednesday, when Real Madrid face Atlético Madrid in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League quarterfinal at the Santiago Bernabéu.
Also absent from the defining match are Luka Modric — who suffered a sprain on the medial collateral ligament in his right knee and is said to be out for six weeks –, Marcelo — who is suspended, and Karim Benzema — who missed the Málaga match Saturday with what has been determined to be a sprained knee — Ancelotti confirmed he will not play in the Derby.
Sorry, I meant Bale and Modric injured. Marcelo suspended.
— Sid Lowe (@sidlowe) April 21, 2015
Ancelotti is refusing to release the starting 11 for the UCL quarterfinal and will have his hands full trying to come up with a team that can stop Atléti on their home turf, but says they are ready for the challenge. The good news is that Real Madrid has one of the deepest benches in all of football, and with stars such as Cristiano Ronaldo , James Rodriguez, and Toni Kroos, they still have a good chance. It will be hard, but not impossible to advance for Los Blancos.
There is no question that Gareth Bale’s injury will affect the next few weeks in La Liga. Bale and Benzema are part of the famous BBC (Bale, Benzema, Cristiano) who has been tearing up the Spanish League for the last couple of years. Real Madrid is currently in second place, only two points behind the leader Barcelona. It should be an interesting time in Spain.
[Photo by Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images Sports]