GARETH BALE could be forced to wait to win his 100th Wales cap next month after suffering a hamstring injury.
The Real Madrid superstar, 32, picked up the injury in training with the Spanish giants on Saturday and missed the 5-2 La Liga win over Celta Vigo.
Welshman Bale, who has also been ruled out of Real’s Champions League tie with Inter Milan on Wednesday, had a scan today and is anxiously waiting on the results.
But both club and country fear he will be out for a number of weeks.
The Wales captain returned okay from international duty last week but he broke down ahead of Real’s return to the Bernabeu at the weekend and left the final pre-match session with a bandage on his right thigh.
Bale was set to reach his landmark appearance in the crunch 2022 World Cup qualifier against the Czech Republic in Prague on October 8 but the news will be a major worry for boss Rob Page.
Wales’ talisman showed his importance to Page and Co when he spared their blushes versus Belarus with a hat-trick, including an injury-time winner earlier this month.
Bale, who has now scored an all-time record of 36 goals for the Dragons, also played in the goalless draw with Belarus and conceded afterwards the showdown with the Czechs in Group E is now ‘must-win’.
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Wales are behind the Czechs in third place on goal difference with a game in hand in the race to reach the 2022 World Cup finals in Qatar next winter.
However, Wales still have to play Belgium, the leaders, in November while the Czechs have played Roberto Martinez’s side twice and have an easier run of matches on paper.
The injury is also a blow for Carlo Ancelotti and Real as Bale has said he is happy with life in Spain after being reintegrated following his loan spell at Tottenham.
After facing Inter Milan, Real are also due to take on Sheriff in the Champions League this month as well as league matches with Valencia, Mallorca, Villarreal and Espanyol.
Bale has regularly been side-lined throughout his career and has missed 102 matches for Real due to injury since moving there in 2013.
He also suffered from three injury setbacks in the 2020-21 season during his time back on loan with former club Tottenham.
The forward was out for a total of 40 days with a knee problem, then ten days due to illness and a further 18 days due to another muscle injury.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
