Following on from their four-game winless run prior to the international break, the pressure is on Real Madrid to get back on track this weekend onwards.
Los Blancos take on Levante on Saturday, while El Clasico is also right around the corner as they take on rivals Barcelona on October 28.
SEE MORE: Real Madrid & Barcelona at front of the queue to seal £175m superstar transfer due to special clause
Coach Julen Lopetegui will be fully aware of the requirement to start winning games consistently as soon as possible, as his side are winless in their last four games in all competitions and failed to score a single goal in those outings.
With that in mind, the last thing that the Spanish tactician needs is for Gareth Bale to be struggling with injury woes, but according to AS, that’s exactly what is currently troubling the Welshman.
The 29-year-old has started the campaign well, scoring four goals and providing three assists in nine appearances as he looks to step up and be the player that fills the void left behind by Cristiano Ronaldo after his departure from the Bernabeu this past summer.
While he appeared to be on course to do so with his early-season form, his fitness is seemingly going to be a risk yet again moving forward as AS note that he trained alone on Monday at the club’s training ground after returning early from international duty due to a groin injury.
It’s unclear as to how serious the issue is and whether or not it could keep Bale sidelined this weekend, but it’s certainly far from ideal to even have question marks hovering over his fitness at such a crucial time for the squad.
Lopetegui will undoubtedly be desperate to see him feature and help his side end their barren run in front of goal and also importantly to get a morale boost via a win.