Gareth Bale Hopes Cutting Holes in Real Madrid Socks Will Prevent Future Injury

He's one of the highest-paid players at one of the richest clubs in the world, but Gareth Bale's latest strategy to avoid injury is far from glamorous.

The Welshman, who has missed large chunks of this season with Real Madrid because of calf injuries, returned to action for Saturday's 7-1 win over Celta Vigo at the Santiago Bernabeu in ripped socks.

Elliott Bretland of MailOnline wrote that Bale's cut socks aren't a sign Florentino Perez is tightening the budget but rather a technique to "relieve pressure on the injured area."

It's suggested the move might be a psychological one, but early signs indicate it was successful, with Bale scoring in Saturday's rout.

He told Real Madrid TV (h/t Bretland): "It's been a frustrating time in the last five or six weeks, so it's great to be back on the pitch and to get a goal, but the most important thing is we got the three points to build confidence ahead of Tuesday."

Madrid's next game is against AS Roma in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday.

[MailOnline]