Gareth Bale ruled out of Wales friendly with Ireland due to foot injury

NEWPORT (Wales) — Gareth Bale will sit out Wales’ friendly against the Republic of Ireland tomorrow (Aug 14) having been assessed by the national team’s medical staff. The Tottenham Hotspur forward, who has set his heart on a move to Real Madrid, is to remain with Chris Coleman’s squad as he continues his rehabilitation from a foot injury.

Bale trained on his own at Wales’ Newport base yesterday, going through sprinting drills with the team’s physio Sean Connelly, with the Football Association of Wales confirming the 24-year-old would not be considered for Wednesday’s game in Cardiff. The Spurs manager, André Villas-Boas, had suggested on Saturday that the player was still “disturbed” by pain in his foot and, having not featured for the club in over three weeks, he is unlikely to play in the Premier League opener at Crystal Palace on Sunday.

The forward is keen not to aggravate the injury – he sat out the pre-season tournament in Hong Kong with a gluteal muscle problem – as he seeks a summer move to Madrid, a sale Tottenham continue to resist strongly. The Spanish club have indicated a willingness to pay £86m (S$168m) for his services, a world-record offer the Spurs chairman, Daniel Levy, would still consider unsatisfactory.

Bale had reported to the national team with Tottenham’s blessing and will remain with Coleman’s party, continuing his one-on-one work, before watching the game at the Cardiff City stadium. “We’re pleased he wanted to be here,” said the Wales assistant manager, Kit Symons. “He’s too early in his recovery to be considered for the game but he was keen to be here and he will stay with the squad. We’re pleased Tottenham were happy for him to be here and that shows the good relationship we have with the club and that they are confident he’ll be looked after properly.”

The Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey and West Ham’s James Collins have withdrawn from the Wales squad – Coleman’s side take on Macedonia and Serbia in World Cup qualifiers next month – to be replaced by Andrew Crofts and Jazz Richards of Brighton and Swansea respectively. THE GUARDIAN