Gareth Bale could be out of action until November after scans revealed the hamstring injury he sustained against Celta last Saturday is more serious than first thought.
The Welshman's career at Real Madrid has been blighted with injuries, often occurring when Bale was either hitting a period of good form or earning a sustained run in the side.
Now 32, Bale has been given a new lease of life this season at Real after the return of Carlo Ancelotti as manager, having engineered a return to Tottenham on loan last year - primarily to ensure he had enough playing time under his belt to be sharp for Wales' Euro 2020 campaign, but also because he didn't really get along with then manager Zinedine Zidane.
Many thought he'd either stay in north London or rip up the remaining year of his contract in Madrid, but Bale has played three La Liga games for Ancelotti since he sensationally returned to the dugout after Zidane's departure.
Unfortunately, Bale won't be adding to those appearances anytime soon as COPE journalist Miguel Angel Diaz reports that the hamstring injury he picked up at the Bernabeu could rule him out for up to eight to ten weeks.
Bale is said to be 'emotionally touched' by this latest setback 'because he felt comfortable and very involved with Ancelotti'; further evidence of the belief and confidence instilled in him by the hugely successful Italian coach.
Should Bale be on the treatment for as long as predicted he will miss a good chunk of Real Madrid's Champions League campaign, but perhaps more importantly for his country Wales their upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Czech Republic and Estonia - both of which are away from home.
He remains Wales' talisman and has played a huge part in them breaking into the top 20 of FIFA's world rankings - comfortably ahead of other home nations Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
Bale should be replaced on Real Madrid's right wing by either Rodrygo and Marco Asensio, but Wales' interim boss Rob Page will have a far tougher job replacing him as the Dragons aim to push on from their decent start to World Cup qualification.
This article was originally published on 90min as Gareth Bale set to miss at least two months with hamstring tear.
Source: www.90min.com