Real Madrid winger Gareth Bale left the club's UEFA Champions League Group A match against Shakhtar Donetsk in the first half with a suspected calf injury.
Continue for updates.
Bale Substituted Early
Tuesday, September 15
Bale was withdrawn as he grabbed at his calf, shortly after Karim Benzema gave Los Blancos a first-half lead. The Guardian's Sid Lowe reported the news:
Summer acquisition Mateo Kovacic replaced Bale.
Rafael Benitez's side will keenly feel his absence as it has key La Liga matches against Granada and Athletic Bilbao coming up. It's a double blow with James Rodriguez out for around a month, according to Goal.com.
Along with Cristiano Ronaldo, the former Tottenham Hotspur man is Real's most potent attacking force. He's able to turn a game on its head with his pace and power.
Even last season, when he came under pressure for underperforming, Bale still netted 13 goals and provided nine assists, proof of his importance at the Bernabeu, per WhoScored.com.
Los Blancos have plenty of reserves to draw on in attack with the likes of Isco and Jese able take up a variety of forward positions.
But Bale will be missed, as his physicality and speed bring an added dimension to Real's play—especially when in tandem with Ronaldo.
Bale was absent for a spell at the end of last season as he sat out a number of games with a calf injury, but he returned to full fitness and contributed in the final few games.
via http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2435938-gareth-bale-injury-updates-on-real-madrid-stars-calf-and-return
RSS Feed
