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Football

06th Jan 2019

Gareth Bale given cruel nickname by Spanish press after latest injury setback

Robert Redmond

“Mr Glass.”

Gareth Bale is injured again. During Real Madrid’s 2-2 draw with Villareal on Thursday, the Welsh forward picked up a calf knock.

Injuries happen to every player at every level, it’s an unfortunate part of the game. And Bale’s injury is not thought to be a serious one – he is due to be out for around two weeks.

However, this is Bale’s 22nd injury since joining Madrid from Tottenham in August 2013.

According to Transfermarkt, Bale has missed an incredible 69 games, and 343 days, due to injury since signing for Real for a world record fee. Calf injuries have been his most common complaint, followed by hamstring and ankle problems.

At Spurs, Bale only missed 21 games in six years at Spurs, and had no history of niggling injuries before joining the Spanish club. However, there appears to be little sympathy in Spain for his latest setback.

Spanish publication AS have given Bale a nickname following his latest injury, dubbing the Welsh forward: “Mr Glass.”

They splashed the headline across the front page of Sunday’s edition.

Bale scored the decisive goals in last season’s Champions League final and has helped Madrid win the competition four times.

However, questions remain about his suitability to be Cristiano Ronaldo’s heir at the Bernabeu and he’s certainly not the most popular Madrid player amongst the team’s supporters.

Despite his undoubted talent, Bale still seems a poor fit for Madrid and his injury record hasn’t helped his cause.

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