After a visit to Sanitas Hospital in the La Moraleja suburb of Madrid, Gareth Bale has been ruled out of Wednesday’s match at Elche CF, Real Madrid announced Monday.
Bale was a last-minute scratch from Madrid’s lineup before a 4-1 win over Getafe. He pulled up after taking a shot in the warm-up and was examined on the pitch by medical staff (pictured) before being taken out of the starting 11. Isco replaced Bale and scored in the 59th minute.
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Bale’s absence against newly promoted Segunda División champion Elche might not pose much of a problem, but he would likely be missed on Saturday against Atlético Madrid. The derby has top-three implications as the table currently stands, as Atlético and FC Barcelona are tied at the top with 15 points, and Real sits in third place with 13 points.
Atlético and Barça are the only perfect teams remaining in the league, having won each of their five matches. Both play on Tuesday at home, against Osasuna and Real Sociedad, respectively.