Gareth Bale is a major doubt for Wales' crunch World Cup qualifier with the Czech Republic next month after suffering a hamstring injury, according to reports in Spain.

Bale is back at Real Madrid this year and has played for them three times this season, scoring in a 3-3 draw with Levante last month.

There was a sense that Bale was back in favour in Madrid after what had been a turbulent season on and off the field before he spent a year on-loan at Tottenham.

But this latest injury, which Marca says happened in training before Real Madrid's game against Celta Vigo and is described as 'long-term', couldn't have come at a worse time as he looks set to miss a hectic schedule for Madrid in the next few weeks.

It will also deny him a return to the Bernabeu, as all three of his appearances for Los Blancos so far this season have come away from home.

Also, if the injury is as bad as first feared, he would miss Wales' World Cup qualifier against the Czech on October 8, which is a doomsday scenario for manager Robert Page.

Bale underlined his importance to the Wales side when he bagged a crucial hat-trick in a 3-2 win over Belarus last week.

He had been due to win his 100th cap against the Czechs.

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