Bale misses Real's Champions League clash

Gareth Bale has been ruled out of Real Madrid’s Champions League match against FC Copenhagen tomorrow because of a thigh problem.

The world’s most expensive player was left out of Carlo Ancelotti’s 21-man squad for the clash at the Bernabeu after training apart from his team-mates on Tuesday afternoon in the club’s gym.

A statement on the Madrid website confirmed Bale was struggling with a thigh problem and would undergo tests tomorrow.

The statement read: ``Gareth Bale has not trained with the group due to muscular discomfort in the left thigh. The diagnosis is subject to further tests that will take place tomorrow.''

Bale missed last Wednesday’s trip to Elche with “muscle fatigue” in the same thigh after feeling a tweak during the warm-up ahead of the match against Getafe on September 22, which prevented the 24-year-old from making his home debut for Madrid in that game.

However, he did make his first Bernabeu appearance during Saturday’s derby with Atletico Madrid, where he played the whole of the second half in the 1-0 loss.

That was Bale’s third appearance for the Spanish giants since his record-breaking 100million euro signing from Tottenham.

He only played 45 minutes in pre-season with Spurs, plus half an hour for Wales in a World Cup qualifier against Serbia.

He then played 60 minutes on his Madrid debut against Villarreal, where he scored his side’s opening goal in a 2-2 draw, and also featured as a second-half substitute in the Champions League win at Galatasaray prior to the Getafe match.