Gareth Bale El Clasico Status & Injury Update

gareth bale, gareth bale injury, where is bale, is bale playing today, Gareth Bale status vs falcons, when will bale come back, Gareth Bale el clasico

(Getty)

Real Madrid may be closer than ever to their first domestic title since 2012, but they’ve played most of this campaign without one of their best.

Gareth Bale is in the midst of his worst season at Real Madrid, and his latest calf injury could cause him to miss Sunday’s Clasico. Bale hasn’t played since Real Madrid’s trip to Allianz Arena on April 12.

It is Bale’s sixth different calf-related injury in three seasons with Madrid. The latest issue, along with a three-month absence due to ankle surgery, have held Bale to only 16 starts this season.

Bale made it back to training on Thursday, slightly improving his odds to appear in El Clasico. Madrid lead Barcelona by three points in the table, making Sunday’s meeting critical to the Spanish title race. Madrid have five league games remaining after Sunday, and will take on Atletico Madrid in Champions League semifinals in May. Zidane may want to hold off on using Bale so soon, and ensure his health for the final weeks of the season.

After scoring 22 goals in his first season, Bale has yet to match that total over the last three seasons. During his time on the bench players like Isco and Marco Asensio have stepped up, combining for 12 league goals this season.