Gareth Bale has suffered 24 injuries since joining Real Madrid

Gareth Bale has suffered 24 injuries since joining Real Madrid. (Source: AP File)

Real Madrid’s key striker Gareth Bale has suffered a total of 24 injuries since he joined the Spanish club from Tottenham Hotspur in June 2013. Bale was nearing recovery from a calf ­injury when he picked up a fresh knock in training on Thursday.

The Welshman’s problems with injury have not only cost Los Blancos in the Spanish league, where they sit third and eight points behind Barcelona, but also his national team Wales, who failed to book a spot for the World Cup next year in Russia.

Wales manager Chris Coleman suggested a change in Bale’s training schedule. “Some players as they get older change their schedule,” said Coleman. “That’s up to him and Real Madrid. The harder you try to get back, you get a setback and sometimes you have to go through that. He needs to take his time. He’ll be devastated. It’s bad luck.”

“He’ll get over and he’ll be back. He just needs to get settled again and get his fitness. He needs to take his time and not rush himself back. Any player will tell you they want to be on the pitch and not in the treatment room.”

The £85million superstar has missed 79 games for Zinedine Zidane’s side in total, making only nine appearances in all competitions so far this season, the last of which came on Sept. 26, 2017 against Apoel Nicosia in the Champions League. Bale was also a substitute in the Champions League final match against Juventus in front of his home crowd last season.