Gareth Bale has been left out of Real Madrid’s squad for their second-leg Champions League fixture against Bayern Munich. Alex McVey looks at how this injury might affect Real Madrid.
Gareth Bale was subbed off against Bayern Munich after experiencing some discomfort in Real Madrid’s first leg. It turns out that he has aggravated his recurring soleus injury.
Rather than risk rushing him back too soon, Zidane has left him out of the squad entirely for the second leg against Bayern in the Bernabéu, with the hopes that he will be fit for Saturday’s clash against Barcelona.
Having already missed a big chunk of the season through a separate ankle injury, this is a major blow to Bale’s season. While Bale is one of Madrid’s most dangerous players when healthy, he simply has not been able to contribute up to his usual level.
Fortunately, Real Madrid has plenty of backup. Marco Asensio has proven a reliable squad player, and successfully replaced Bale when he was subbed out in the first leg, providing a crucial assist to Ronaldo for the game winner.
More likely, however, will be the inclusion of Isco in the starting lineup. Isco has barely featured in the Champions League, making only one start, two total appearances, for a total of 77 minutes, according to WhoScored.
Zidane: "Isco didn't play much in the Champions League? It's just a coincidence."
— RMadrid Info Help (@RMadridInfoHelp) April 17, 2017
Isco ran the show against Sporting de Gijón, single-handedly securing Real all three points on the back of a downright dazzling performance. Even though Asensio or Vázquez would be a more likely candidate to fit into Bale’s position, if Isco is not chosen as Bale’s replacement, there might be riots in Madrid.
I would expect Zidane to give Isco the nod and see what the Spaniard has to offer against Bayern Munich.