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Bale could miss Champions League semis with calf problem

Reuters / Sergio Perez Livepic

Gareth Bale has rotten luck.

After overcoming ligament damage in his ankle, the Welshman was diagnosed with a Grade 2 calf injury Tuesday that could keep him out of Real Madrid's Champions League semi-final clash against Atletico.

Although the club offered no timetable for Bale's recovery, Spanish paper AS has estimated a potential month-long layoff for the 27-year-old.

That would rule him out of the first and second legs of the Madrid derby on May 2 and May 10, and force Bale to miss his team's final six La Liga matches.

Should Real Madrid reach a third Champions League final in four years, however, Bale could recover in time to play in the showpiece event in his hometown of Cardiff on June 3.

Manager Zinedine Zidane selected Bale to start in Sunday's El Clasico despite his troublesome ankle. The former Tottenham winger lasted only 39 minutes before limping off the pitch.

Zidane defended the decision to field one of his star players, saying to reporters, according to ESPN FC's Dermot Corrigan, "He told me he was 100 percent, that the two training sessions before (the) game were perfect. We cannot avoid this happening."

Bale has already missed 21 matches this season due to injury, according to numbers compiled by Transfermarkt. Luckily for Zidane, he has suitable replacements in attack. Isco performed well in his teammate's absence, scoring twice in a 3-2 comeback win over Sporting Gijon on April 15, while Marco Asensio, Lucas Vazquez, and James Rodriguez are also available.

Real Madrid, even on 75 points with Barcelona but still with a game in hand, is looking to claim its first league title since 2012.

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