Gareth Bale's Misfortune Is James Rodriguez's Opportunity at Real Madrid

Gareth Bale sat on the turf, motionless, his expression despondent. Holding his calf, he knew. He'd done it again. 

"Bale-ja-vu," said AS. 

Calf injuries have been an ongoing problem for Bale at Real Madrid, but Sunday's recurrence at the Bernabeu felt particularly cruel, the timing simply awful.

Only half an hour earlier, the Welshman's header to open the scoring against Sporting Gijon had continued his sparkling run, taking his goal tally to nine in his last five games. In his last nine, that number is 11. Five assists have been thrown in, too. 

This is what Real Madrid had envisaged when Bale was signed two-and-a-half years ago. Alongside Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema, he would make Madrid lethal beyond comprehension, but, fleeting highs aside, reality has been considerably different; until now, Bale has been more maligned misfit than machine. 

In 2015 alone, the Welshman was brutalised by sections of the Spanish press. He was whistled relentlessly at the Bernabeu. Team-mates, high-profile ones, regularly fumed at him. His car was attacked.

Thus, the current season was always going to be a defining one for Bale; his time in the Spanish capital couldn't continue in such fashion, he wouldn't have survived another 12 months of it. And on a personal level, that's why this season has been significant. 

In just 14 starts, the former Spurs star had stormed to 13 goals and eight assists in the league. On current pace, he'll smash the marks he set in his strong opening season at the club, and he could double his tallies from the difficult one that followed. But Bale's season to date has been about more than numbers, too; it's been about sensations.  

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This term, he's looked happier and at ease, his demeanour markedly different. On the pitch, he's carried a confidence and an assertiveness that had evaporated last season, when his game felt passive as he deferred to others. Within, there appears to have been a subtle but important shift, a sense that he belongs now. That he believes. 

It's why his latest injury is so cruel: Out for the better part of a month, Bale will have to start all over again. 

And yet, in every disaster exists opportunity. In this case, it exists for James Rodriguez.

In an alarmingly similar manner to Bale, James has watched his second season at Real Madrid turn toxic, the highlights of a sparkling debut campaign almost forgotten.

There have been injuries and speculated rifts with managers, his professionalism has been questioned, he's been accused of being overweight, a desire for a new contract has been held against him, he's been caught speeding at 200 kilometres per hour and cameras now study his mood, expressions and actions on the bench. 

Even the sudden sense of euphoria created by Zinedine Zidane's appointment hasn't extended to him. "Just James yet to join the jamboree," said Marca after Madrid's mauling of Sporting. 

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For a player who drew comparisons with some Real Madrid greats after his first season, for a player who initially carried the Galactico tag with ease and looked poised to be the next face of the club, this is not how it was supposed to go. This season was meant to be about consolidation and steady progression for James; instead, it's been marred by regression. 

Bale's injury could be a turning point, though. 

Under both Rafa Benitez and now Zidane, James has essentially been in a head-to-head positional battle with Isco. Since the Frenchman's appointment, Isco has been the preferred option and has sparkled while being so. 

Now, however, the injury to Bale takes James away from such a head-to-head existence. With the BBC broken up, Zidane can now use the Colombian on the right side of the front three, or switch the system to a 4-4-2 and use James as part of a four-man midfield that was so successful in late 2014.

More importantly, though, he can do so without the difficulty of juggling minutes; now James can be thrown into the mix and given an extended run without upsetting others. The looming opponents also look favourable for a player needing to recapture form: Real Betis, Espanyol, Granada and Athletic Bilbao. 

This is James' chance to turn it around, to finally ignite his season. One man's misfortune has become another's opportunity.

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