Real Madrid have been handed a major blow before their Champions League clash against Liverpool after Gareth Bale was ruled out of contention for the game.
The world’s most expensive player, who arrived at Los Blancos for £85 million in 2013, is also a major doubt for the El Clasico against Barcelona on Saturday.
Bale picked up a gluteal muscle injury while playing in a 2-1 victory over Cyprus with Wales during the international break last week and was forced to look from the bench at the weekend as Madrid recorded a 5-0 victory over Levante in La Liga.
Carlo Ancelotti was also missing; Karim Benzema, Raphael Varane and Sergio Ramos from the weekend clash.
Ancelotti said: "Bale had a problem in his glute. "He wasn't comfortable so we preferred to not risk it for this game and we will evaluate it in the next few days. He wasn't left out due to rotation."
It has since been confirmed that the 25-year-old will definitely be out of the game. A statement on the club's website read: "After tests carried out on Gareth Bale by the Real Madrid Sanitas medical services, he has been diagnosed with a muscular injury in the right pyramidalis muscle. His progress will be monitored."