Real Madrid have announced Gareth Bale will miss the first Clasico of the season against Barcelona after suffering an ankle injury against Sporting in the Champions League.
Bale, 27, was forced off just before the hour-mark in Madrid’s 2-1 win over Sporting on Tuesday and Zinedine Zidane confirmed scan results on Wednesday would allow the club to know the full extent of the damage to the ankle.
Madrid have now announced that Bale will be ruled out for up to a month, which rules him out of their clash with Barcelona in just over a weeks’ time.
“After tests carried out on our player Gareth Bale at the Sanitas La Moraleja Hospital, he has been diagnosed with a traumatic dislocation of the peroneal tendons of the right ankle,” a statement read on the club’s official website.
The news comes as a huge blow for Zidane’s side ahead of the Clasico at the start of December, with Alvaro Morata and Toni Kroos already confirmed as out. With Cristiano Ronaldo also struggling to rediscover his best form, Barcelona will be firm favourites for the tie.
Marcelo was also injured in their Champions League win, although he’s expected to recover in time for the Clasico. It does mean, however, that Madrid will be without their two highest WhoScored rated players against Barcelona (Kroos – 7.89, Bale 7.84).
For more stats on Gareth Bale, click here to visit his WhoScored player page
