Gareth Bale will miss the Champions League semi-final against Real Madrid’s city rivals, Atlético, after tests found he has a tear to his left calf.
The 27-year-old lasted only 35 minutes of Sunday’s clásico defeat by Barcelona before limping off the Bernabéu pitch.
The Real manager, Zinedine Zidane, defended his decision to play the Wales forward in Sunday’s game. He said: “Bale said he was fine and excited to play. I do not regret anything. I’m disappointed for him because he wanted to play and thought he was fine but we can’t control this.
“Bale was 100%. He told me he was at 100%, that the two training sessions before game were perfect. We cannot avoid this happening.”
Commenting on concerns about Bale’s setback, Zidane said: “Injuries happen, it is part of a player’s life, nobody can do anything about that.”
A short statement from Real confirmed the extent of Bale’s problem: “Following the tests, the player has been diagnosed with a grade two injury in his left calf. His recovery will continue to be assessed.”
Bale is facing three weeks on the sidelines, which would rule him out of both legs of the Champions League tie – on 2 and 10 May – as well as La Liga fixtures against Deportivo La Coruña, Valencia and Granada.
It is the latest blow in what has been a frustrating campaign for the former Tottenham Hotspur player, who has been hampered by several injuries, including a three-month layoff earlier this season with an ankle problem.
