Gareth Bale will be sidelined for Saturday’s visit to Athletic Bilbao due to a recurrence of a calf problem he sustained during Tuesday’s Copa del Rey tie against third-tier side Fuenlabrada.
Bale came off the bench to set up both goals in the 2-2 draw that sealed Real’s place in the last 16.
However, he hasn’t trained with his team-mates since and Real boss Zinedine Zidane refused to set a timeframe for the Welshman’s latest return.
“It is nothing serious, it is just a niggle and, as always, we don’t want to take any risks,” Zidane said on Friday.
Bale has been dogged by a series of injuries that has seen him complete 90 minutes just four times for the European champions in the last year.
“Gareth’s problem is that he is a very strong, very powerful player and he needs to feel right to play,” added Zidane.
“As in many previous occasions, it is the calf. It is a tough time for him right now, but we will come through it and all the people around Gareth have to show him a lot of affection until he is better.
“We can’t forget he is an important player for us and when he is fit, he is phenomenal. We need to be patient.”
