Gareth Bale will miss El Clasico and could be sidelined until 2017 after tests showed he suffered significant ankle damage in Madrid’s Champions League victory at Sporting Lisbon on Tuesday night.
Bale was substituted after hurting his right ankle in a seemingly innocuous challenge with Sporting defender Sebastian Coates, and after a scan the club confirmed that he has been “diagnosed with a traumatic dislocation of the peroneal tendons of his right ankle.”
Although no timeline for his recovery has been given, it is thought the Welshman will face at least three weeks on the sidelines, with the possibility of surgery being required to lengthen his absence by several more weeks depending on how the injury responds to treatment.
That means Bale will definitely miss the Clasico trip to Barcelona a week on Saturday, and the Champions League home clash with Borussia Dortmund to decide the group winners four days later. He is also a major doubt for next month’s Club World Championships in Japan.
The news is a big blow for Los Blancos, with Bale playing a key role in their surge to move four points clear at the top of La Liga as they pursue their first Spanish title since 2012.
The Welshman has missed just one of his team’s 12 league games so far, playing more minutes than any other player except Toni Kroos, who is also now on the sidelines.
During that time, Bale has scored five goals and been credited with two assists, including a surging run and accurate cross for Cristiano Ronaldo’s third in last weekend’s convincing derby victory at Atletico.
However, manager Zinedine Zidane does at least have the luxury of several options to replace Bale, with much resting on whether the French coach opts to stick with the 4-4-2 formation he has employed in the last two games or revert to the previously favoured 4-3-3 shape.
There is better injury news for Los Blancos, however, with the return to training of defensive midfielder Casemiro, who has been absent for two months with a fractured leg. The Brazilian had become an automatic starter before being sidelined, with his physical capabilities complementing the more attacking skills provided by Luka Modric and Toni Kroos.
But Mateo Kovacic has been in outstanding form during recent games so Casemiro’s return to the team is by no means certain.
Here are the options available to Zidane:
► James Rodriguez: The Colombian is another with the versatility to fill either of Bale’s positions, but he is rarely selected by Zidane.
► Isco: The versatile creator has been played everywhere in midfield during his three seasons in Madrid, and could easily substitute Bale.
► Lucas Vazquez: If Zidane reverts to a 4-3-3 with Ronaldo on the left, Vazquez would be the obvious deputy for Bale on the right.
► Marco Asensio: The most natural option in the left-wing berth is rising star Asensio, who has made eight league appearances so far.
► Cristiano Ronaldo: The club’s all-time leading scorer has been operating as a central striker, but could return to the wing.