Bale To Miss Real Sociedad Clash With Calf Injury

By Joshua Walters

Gareth Bale is set for another spell on the sidelines as the Real Madrid wing-forward sustained a calf injury in Los Blancos' 2-2 draw at Villareal on Thursday.

The Wales national team's all-time leading goalscorer limped off in the first half of the side's outstanding LaLiga game at the Estadio de la Ceramica as Los Blancos dropped to seven points behind leaders, Barcelona.

Reports in Spain suggest that the player will undergo an MRI on his calf on Saturday to determine the extend of the injury and the length of time he will be out of action.

What is almost certain, however, is that the left-footed speedster, according to reports, will not be in the team when Real Madrid welcome Real Sociedad at the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday

The Welshman was brilliant for Real Madrid in the Club World Cup, but the same ghost that has been truncating his good form through injuries has come haunting again and he, for the umpteenth time, is headed for the sidelines. 

Real Madrid are already a pale shadow of themselves this season following their unimpressive run, and the layoff certainly brings some pressure on Solari who already is bedeviled with a tall injury list.

With Marco Asensio also injured and Vinicius Junior yet to convince the manager that he can step up to the plate, Solari may be forced to start Isco on the left wing despite not having so much trust in the Spaniard.

The schedule is not anymore manageable for Real Madrid as they visit Betis on January 13, 2019, ahead of a home tie with Sevilla the following week.