Real Madrid star Gareth Bale has been discharged from the hospital after a successful ankle surgery, however his recovery will take longer than initially expected.
Gareth Bale suffered damaged tendons in his right ankle--specifically traumatic dislocation of the peroneal tendons--after Real Madrid's match against Sporting Lisbon and the Welsh star underwent surgery in King Edward VII Hospital in London. Later, Bale gave an update on his personal Instagram account and reassured fans, saying, "Thanks for all the messages! Ankle is feeling ok. I'll be doing everything I can to get back on the pitch asap #HalaMadrid."
However, it appears that his injury is more serious than initially thought. The medics originally expected him to have fully recovered in about two to three months, but Gareth Bale's recovery is said to take up to four months instead.
This means that Real Madrid will be without one of its top stars until April. Bale could be absent from the club's next 25 matches. It's likely he will miss as many as 14 La Liga matches, the Club World Cup and the last 16 of the Champions League.
It's not just Real Madrid banking on Gareth Bale's speedy recovery, but also to Wales' World Cup qualifying campaign. Wales manager Chris Coleman remains optimistic that Bale's recovery might take less than four months and he can be fit enough to join the World Cup qualifier against Ireland in March. "I'm hoping it's going to be more like three months. He's an absolute machine and physically he's an absolute specimen. We'll know a little bit more probably next week or the week after," Coleman said to The Independent.
