Gareth Bale successfully undergoes ankle surgery

The Wales international could be sidelined for up to three months.

Gareth Bale has successfully undergone surgery on his damaged ankle in London, Real Madrid have announced.

Bale went under the knife at the King Edward VII Hospital to repair the peroneal tendon injury he sustained during Real's Champions League victory over Sporting Lisbon last week.

Real have not said how long they expect the Wales international to be sidelined for but media reports have suggested he could be sidelined for up to three months.

A Real statement on Tuesday evening read: "Our player Gareth Bale has successfully come through the operation he underwent today after suffering an injury to the peroneal tendons in his right ankle.

"The operation was carried out at London's King Edward VII Hospital by Dr James Calder and Real Madrid Sanitas' Dr Mikel Aramberri, under the supervision of Dr Jesus Olmo, head of Real Madrid's medical department."

It remains to be seen when Bale exactly will be able to return to action, but it could be he will not be available until February.

That means he will miss several key games for Real, including this weekend's El Clasico against Barcelona, next week's Champions League showdown against Borussia Dortmund and the FIFA Club World Cup, which takes place in Japan between December 8-18.

Wales' next scheduled match is the World Cup qualifier against the Republic of Ireland on March 24.