Gareth Bale’s Real Madrid comeback this week has proved to be short-lived after head coach Zinedine Zidane confirmed he would miss Saturday’s La Liga match against Athletic Bilbao with another calf complaint.
Bale had not featured since scoring in September’s 3-1 Champions League win at Borussia Dortmund due to calf and groin injuries before being introduced as a second-half substitute during Tuesday’s Copa del Rey fourth-round tie against Fuenlabrada.
It proved to be a dazzling cameo, with the Wales star creating both goals for Borja Mayoral in an otherwise laboured 2-2 draw with Madrid’s third-tier opponents that closed out a 4-2 aggregate win.
But the 28-year-old, who has been ravaged by fitness problems over the past two seasons once again felt soreness in his troublesome calf muscle and Zidane is not willing to take any undue risks for the trip to San Mames.
“It’s nothing serious, it’s just a niggle and when it’s a little niggle we just don’t want to risk anything,” Zidane told a pre-match news conference.
