"The Real Madrid Sanitas Medical Services have decided that Gareth Bale will undergo an operation following the traumatic dislocation of the peroneal tendons of his right ankle. "The operation will take place at King Edward VII Hospital in London on Tuesday 29th November by doctor James Calder, under the supervision of the club doctors Jesús Olmo and Mikel Aramberri."
As Bale is set to go under the knife, he is expected to face a considerable period on the sidelines. Obviously he will have zero involvement in the El Clasico match with Barcelona on December 3 and there are reports that he could be out for up to four months.
That time frame is interesting from an Irish perspective as Republic of Ireland's next World Cup qualifier is against Wales on March 24. 2017, exactly four months to the day from Real Madrid's press release. This means that he is officially a doubt for the fixture.
Ireland find themselves top of Group D after going unbeaten in their first four games. After drawing their opener 2-2 against Serbia, they've racked up three straight wins against Moldova, Georgia and most recently, Austria away. Meanwhile, Wales are four points behind the Boys In Green in third place.
