An already tough start to the 2013-14 season just got a lot more difficult for Gareth Bale. The Welshman recently suffered an injury during warm-ups for Real Madrid's win over Getafe.
Bale was expected to start the game for Madrid, but injured his thigh muscle in warm-ups and was promptly left out of the lineup.
"He had a small problem when he was warming up. It's not an injury. He just didn't feel comfortable," Coach Carlo Ancelotti said, according to ESPN. "He is disappointed because he was very excited to play."
Ancelotti also noted that he was unsure whether Bale would be ready for Wednesday's Spanish League clash with Elche but hinted that he could appear in the derby next Saturday against Atletico Madrid.
"I don't know if Bale can play on Wednesday because it's difficult for a player to be ready in three days," Ancelotti said. "I think Bale will be ready for Saturday's match. We are working to improve Bale's fitness because he didn't have a good pre-season."
Bale did not train with his former club Tottenham Hotspur due to reported injury concerns; many speculated that the player did not join in training because he wanted the team to transfer him to Madrid.
Bale had a successful debut for Madrid last week as he scored in his opening game and set up another goal in the win over Galatasaray on Tuesday.
His Sunday replacement Isco had a tremendous game that featured a goal; Isco scored on Tuesday as well and continues to prove that he is indispensible for the club. Meanwhile, Angel Di Maria continued to excel on the right wing, showing that he should remain in the starting XI. The one player that Bale might wind up replacing is Karim Benzema; the striker struggled throughout the game and was booed incessantly by fans at the Santiago Bernabeu.
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