Gareth Bale set for new spell on the sidelines as Real Madrid reveal fresh injury blow

Injury-prone Gareth Bale is set for set for a new spell on the sidelines after the Real Madrid star suffered a "strain to the middle third of the adductor longus muscle in his left leg" during a training session on Thursday (9 November).

Bale has not played a game since being forced off during the 3-1 Champions League victory over Borussia Dortmund on 26 September.

Zinedine Zidane tried to play down the concerns of the fans following the game after claiming that the former Tottenham Hotspurs star was only replaced as a precaution.

But Bale withdrew from the Wales national team for the crucial World Cup qualifiers against Georgia and the Republic of Ireland and on 4 October Real Madrid revealed that he had some "swelling but no tear" in his soleus muscle.

"Following tests carried out on Gareth Bale, he has been diagnosed with swelling but no tear in the soleus muscle of his left leg. His recovery will be monitored," Real Madrid confirmed then.

Bale has since missed Real Madrid's last eight games, including a La Liga defeat to Girona and the 3-1 European loss away to Tottenham Hotspur.

On the weekend Zidane said that he was expecting the Welshman to be ready for the crucial derby at Atletico Madrid on 18 November after he already returned to full training last week.

"We want Bale to play. He's doing fine. He's just a little way off and that's why he didn't play tonight. We've now got 15 days ahead of us and we'll see how we manage them. My plan is for him to be ready to feature against Atlético," Zidane said in the press conference following the Sunday's 3-0 victory over Las Palmas.

However, Bale is instead preparing for another spell on the sidelines after suffering a new setback during the Thursday's training session.

"Our player Gareth Bale, who felt some discomfort in his left leg at the end of Thursday's training session, today underwent various tests carried out by the Real Madrid Sanitas medical team. He has been diagnosed with a strain to the middle third of the adductor longus muscle in his left leg. His recovery will continue to be assessed," the club confirmed.

The Champions League winners have not set a timeframe for his return but AS claims that he could be on the sidelines for between three and four weeks.

The news is a fresh blow for the Real Madrid ace following a summer in which supporters and pundits in Spain asked president Florentino Perez to send him back to the Premier League.

Bale helped Real Madrid to win the Champions League and the Copa del Rey in his debut campaign in Spain, scoring in both finals against Atletico Madrid and Barcelona. However, his career at the club has since been overshadow by a number of injury problems.

Last year Bale spent three months on the sidelines after being forced to undergo an operation on his ankle. He returned to action in February but the second part of the season was also hampered by a range of muscle problems.