Abu Dhabi: Injury-plagued Gareth Bale has been named in Real Madrid’s 23-man squad for this week’s Fifa Club World Cup in Abu Dhabi, but remains a doubt for their first game in the tournament on Wednesday.
Real coach Zinedine Zidane said on Friday: “Bale won’t be available tomorrow (for Saturday’s league game at home to Sevilla), but the idea is that he will travel with us to the Club World Cup and we will see if he can play in the first match.”
Los Blancos begin their Club World Cup title defence in Wednesday’s semi-final in Abu Dhabi against the winners of Saturday’s quarter-final between Urawa Red Diamonds and Al Jazira.
If successful, they will then play the winners of Gremio’s semi-final against either Pachuca or Wydad Casablanca, in the final on December 16.
Welshman Bale has a calf injury, while Raphael Varane, who was substituted during Real’s midweek Uefa Champions League win at home to Borussia Dortmund last Wednesday, also has a muscle problem.
Varane’s injury compounded Real’s defensive crisis ahead of the Sevilla match with Sergio Ramos, Dani Carvajal and Casemiro suspended and Cesar Vallejo also injured.
However, Zidane is also hoping Varane, like Bale, will be back in time for Abu Dhabi, and announced that the Frenchman would also be travelling with the squad to the UAE capital along with Bale.
“Rapha’s injury is not serious. He won’t be with us tomorrow but he underwent an MRI scan and nothing big came up. He will come with us to the tournament and we’ll see if he can play in the next match.”
