Gareth Bale Diagnosed with Calf Injury; Real Madrid Will 'Assess' His Recovery

Real Madrid forward Gareth Bale has suffered yet another setback, as tests from Los Blancos revealed a muscle injury to his left calf.

Per the club's official website he suffered a "grade 1 soleus muscle injury in his left leg" and his recovery will "continue to be assessed." Marca's Hugo Cerezo believes he will miss "10 to 15 days." 

Bale suffered the injury in Thursday's 2-2 draw against Villarreal, and he was taken off for Isco.

Manager Santiago Solari gave his verdict on whether the latter can replace the Welshman:

The former Tottenham Hotspur man is in the midst of a difficult campaign, as he has struggled to take on the mantle of Real's biggest star. He was expected to lead the way after Cristiano Ronaldo left for Juventus in the summer, but save for a strong spell at the start of the campaign, Bale has failed to live up to the expectations.

Injuries have been a nuisance for the 29-year-old throughout his career. Per Transfermarkt, he has missed time with multiple injuries every year since 2015. He's already been sidelined twice with adductor issues during the ongoing campaign.

AS English weighed in on his injury struggles:

Los Blancos have struggled in his absence—for example, the embarrassing 1-0 loss at CSKA Moscow in the UEFA Champions league. Lucas Vazquez and Asensio were the starting wingers in that contest, and neither was able to match the threat he brings.

Both Vazquez and Asensio have been out of form, while Isco has barely started under Solari. One of the latter two is likely to get a chance in Bale's absence, although more minutes could also be in store for Mariano Diaz or Vinicius Junior.