Bale's injury woes continue as he struggles with calf discomfort

Injury woes have come back to haunt Real Madrid's Welsh winger Gareth Bale, who is once again struggling with a calf issue that has kept him away from a recent training session, the club's coach Zinedine Zidane confirmed on Friday.

Bale returned from injury to take on Madrid minnows Fuenlabrada in the Copa del Rey on Tuesday only to see his struggle with his soleus muscle return, reports Efe.

"Bale hasn't got anything serious. It's just a bit of discomfort and we don't want to risk it. I couldn't tell you when he started to feel pain. He was feeling it in his calf, it's the way it is" Zidane said at press conference on the eve of a La Liga match against Athletic Bilbao.

"With it being in his calf, we really want to fix this problem. I'm always positive, although he's not having the best time right now, he'll come through it. We have to give him lots of support as he recovers," Zidane added.

The manager insisted that Bale was a key member of the squad.

The French coach also praised Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo, stating that Ronaldo would win his fifth Ballon d'Or after a great season.

--IANS

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