Real Madrid star Gareth Bale set to miss Champions League reunion with Tottenham after being ruled out with torn calf
Wales star could also miss play-offs for Russia 2018 in mid-November after being ruled out for a month
GARETH BALE is set to miss his Champions League reunion with Tottenham after being ruled out for up to a month with a torn calf.
And the Real Madrid and Wales superstar, who will miss forthcoming crunch World Cup qualifiers against Georgia and Ireland, is also a major doubt for his nation's possible play-offs for Russia 2018 in mid-November.
Bale limped off in Real Euro's tie with Borussia Dortmund last Tuesday with a hamstring problem but initial scans in Spain gave him the all-clear.
But the 28-year-old, who arrived in Cardiff for international duty on Sunday night with Real's blessing despite missing their La Liga 2-0 win over Espanyol as a precaution, was rescanned by Wales on Monday after the player flagged up discomfort in both his hamstring and calf.
Scan results yesterday discovered the new damage to his left calf muscle.
A Wales statement read: "Following dialogue with Real Madrid, Bale was sent for a scan and results confirmed that he wouldn't be fit to feature."
Now Bale's latest injury setback - the 19th of his Bernabeu career - means he is unlikely to be fit for either Group H tie against old club Spurs on October 17 and November 1.
In total, Bale is expected to miss seven matches for club and country leading up to the Wembley showdown.
Most read in football
It is a hammer blow for Wales' World Cup bid to be without Bale as Chris Coleman's second-placed side need two wins in the next six days to at least make the play-offs.
And since Bale's debut in 2006, the Dragons have only won eight out of 33 games without him.
His influence in attack is massive by scoring 20 and assisting four of Wales' 51 goals since August 2012 - 47 per cent of their goals.
Bale's team-mate David Edwards said: "It's disappointing news for us as it is for the whole of Wales. I spoke to Gareth and he told me, your heart sinks a little bit when you first hear.
"No one was more disappointed than Gareth. He's a wonderful footballer and what he brings to the team in terms of his leadership abilities and game changing moments.
"None of the lads will ever put pressure on Gareth but I feel he does feel he carries this burden of expectation from Wales as a whole.
"You can tell by the way he carries himself. To not be involved, it will hurt him.
"It's a blow to lose him but we're more than capable of going out to Georgia and getting the win."
