It may be hard to believe, but after playing just 30 minutes against Eibar on Sunday, Gareth Bale has a muscle problem in his leg yet again.
Frankly, I don’t know how it is possible for an athlete of Bale’s caliber to be injured so many times. The Welsh international has been been injured multiple times every year since joining Real Madrid in 2013 and that narrative has not changed.
Real Madrid has some of the best training and medical facilities in the world, but Gareth Bale simply can’t stay in shape when match play begins.
After making an uninspiring cameo against Eibar on Sunday, the winger missed both Monday and Tuesday’s training sessions with what media outlets are calling ‘a muscle overload.’ Bale touched the ball just 14 times in that half hour of play and was hardly involved in the defending.
I’m not going to pretend like I know exactly what that is, rather, let’s discuss how this happens in the first place.
When Los Blancos returned to the Ciudad de Real Madrid a little over a month ago, everyone working in and around the club were quick to say that the two players who looked three most in-shape were Eden Hazard and Bale.
Not two weeks later, the club’s former head doctor, Jesus Olmo, said that Bale was the most athletic player he had ever worked with. Yes you read that correctly. Doctor Olmo said Bale was fitter and a better raw athlete than Cristiano Ronaldo.
“Gareth Bale is a natural athlete who can excel in practically any sport,” Olmo said. “He has incredible athletic skills, and I would also say technical skills. He is the one who impressed me most in all aspects.”
It’s hard to argue with this take. Bale’s intangibles when he is fully fit – acceleration, agility, possession, and awareness – are all otherworldly.
There are few players in the world who can cross the ball with the outside of their left foot from the right-wing like the Welsh Dragon, but what causes Madridistas so much angst with the player are his exorbitant wage and his inconsistency.
Real Madrid’s number 11 is currently being paid over $16 million and is one of the highest paid players on the team. Based on his production – he has not scored a goal at home since September 2019 – and Zinedine Zidane’s rocky relationship, I think the frustration is warranted.
Marco Asensio’s return to the lineup could not come at a better time and Zizou will likely look to slot the Spaniard in either as a sub or starter the next couple of weeks.
If Bale misses the match against Valencia on Thursday, stay off of Twitter. Real Madrid fans are not going to be happy.
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