Gareth Bale may miss World Cup qualifier clash Ireland

Gareth Bale is likely to miss Wales’ crucial World Cup qualifier with Ireland at Aviva Stadium next March as his recovery from an ankle injury is now expected to take four months.

The Real Madrid star underwent ankle surgery in London this week, after suffering an injury in the Champion League clash with Sporting Lisbon.

Now reports from Spanish news outlet AS say that Bale will to be facing four months out, with a return to action expected in April.

Ireland are due to meet Wales in their Group D clash at the Lansdowne Road venue on March 24.

The match is crucial to both sides’ hopes of reaching World Cup 2018. Ireland, buoyed by a 1-0 win in Austria last month, lead the way in Group D with 10 points from four games. Group favourites Wales have stuttered so far in qualifying, and are four points behind Ireland. Defeat in Dublin would effectively end their hopes of winning the group.

Meanwhile, the FAI yesterday said it has reached an agreement with the Football Association of Wales for 3,500 tickets for the return World Cup qualifier in Cardiff on October 9, 2017. The game is likely to be played in the 33,000-capacity Cardiff City Stadium. Shoud the Principality Stadium (formerly the Millennium Stadium) be chosen for the game, the FAW has indicated that it will be in a position to release more tickets to Irish fans.