Tuesday, 28th January, 2014
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has confirmed that star forward Gareth Bale will miss this evening's Copa del Rey quarter-final second-leg clash against Espanyol with a leg injury.
The Welsh international was replaced at half-time during his team's 2-0 win over Granada on Saturday after being brought down by defender Jeison Murillo.
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"He tried to train but had discomfort in his left leg", Ancelotti was quoted as saying by the BBC.
"We prefer that he recovers and he will not play."
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The Italian manager however sounded optimistic about the 24-year-old's availability for the trip to Athletic Bilbao in La Liga on Sunday.
Bale has been on the receiving end of recurring injuries since his record-breaking move to La Liga from Tottenham Hotspur last summer.
However, the two-time PFA Players' Player of the Year award winner has still managed to impress during his first season in Spain having scored ten goals already and provided nine more assists for his team-mates.
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