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What’s the story?
With Pepe and Raphael Varane already sidelined due to injuries they sustained earlier this month, Gareth Bale will also miss the all-important Bayern Munich semifinal 2nd leg after suffering a knock to the soleus muscle of the calf. He sat out the trip to Sporting Gijon yesterday, and now Marca confirms that the Welshman will also miss the crucial mid-week encounter. He is also a major doubt for the mother of all La Liga clashes, el clasico
In case you didn’t know
While Raphael Varane had been out for a while, Pepe had just returned from injury recently and had shown signs of regaining his imperious form alongside his long-term partner Sergio Ramos. After an unfortunate incident where Toni Kroos rammed into him, Pepe’s ribs were bruised rendering him unavailable for selection yet again.
This is now all compounded by the Welshman. Gareth Bale has been plagued by injuries ever since his switch to Real Madrid in 2013 – this is now his 16th injury problem.
The heart of the matter
Gareth Bale has not been in great form at all this season, while his replacements Lucas Vazquez and Marco Asensio have shown glimpses of their immense potential. Having said that the Welshman is still one of the best players in the world and on his day can rip apart any team. And he will be a massive miss against Bayern – his defensive work and pace also helped Carvajal on the right flank as he kept David Alaba busy for most of the game in the first leg.
What Next?
Marco Asensio, Lucas Vazquez, Isco and James Rodriguez are all in with a chance to start now, and while Isco is the man most in-form and James is the next-best option in terms of being a pure “big-name”, it is likely that Zidane will trust the discipline of Vazquez, and will also be more comfortable with the young Spaniard’s pace up against Alaba and Frank Ribery on Bayern’s left wing.
Author’s Take
Gareth Bale’s absence, while decreasing the number of big names in Madrid’s lineup, will actually up the cohesion and tempo of the team. The Welshman has looked woefully out-of-sorts recently and while it’s surely a matter of time before he gets back to his A-game,this one may not be as big a miss as many Madrid fans may fear. Zidane’s men still hold the upper hand come Tuesday night.
