Gareth Bale will miss Real Madrid’s trip to Sporting Gijon on Saturday and faces a race against time to be fit for Real ’s Champions League quarter - final second leg against Bayern Munich on Tuesday.
Bale had to be replaced for the final half hour of Madrid’s 2 - 1 win in Munich on Wednesday after aggravating an ankle injury that saw him miss nearly three months earlier this season .
The Welshman is just one of seven first team regulars not included in Zinedine Zidane ’s squad with Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema also rested .
“He will not be with us tomorrow , that is clear, after that we will see , ” Zidane said on Friday .
“It is a muscular problem , it is where he had his operation.
“When he started to play again it has bothered him.
“It is true that I am concerned. I don ’t like to see my players injured and even more so in the final straight of the season. ”
As in recent away games at Eibar and Leganes, Zidane is backing the strength in depth of his squad to get the job done with the second leg against Bayern in mind .
Goalkeeper Keylor Navas is also rested , whilst Dani Carvajal is suspended and central defensive duo Pepe and Raphael Varane miss out due to injury.
Real have made a positive start to a huge April with Barcelona also visiting the Santiago Bernabeu next weekend.
Zidane ’s men have opened up a three - point lead over Barca at the top of the table and have a game still in hand.
Meanwhile, they remain on course to become the first team to retain the Champions League in 27 years .
“I think it is the DNA of this club, the more difficult the matches, the more the players respond,” added Zidane .
“We are all happy when the end of the season arrives with important matches. ”
AFP
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