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Bale withdraws from Wales squad

ESPN staff
October 3, 2013
Gareth Bale has been struggling with injuries since his arrival to Real Madrid © Getty Images
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Gareth Bale has been withdrawn from the Wales squad for their upcoming World Cup qualifiers having been named to take part in the encounters against Macedonia and Belgium.

Real Madrid ruled out the winger through injury until after the international break.

Bale missed Real's Champions League match against FC Copenhagen on Wednesday with a problem the club have described as "muscle fatigue".

That issue has plagued the 24-year-old since he made his world-record move to the Bernabeu from Tottenham in August and limited him to just one start for Los Blancos thus far. Real boss Carlo Ancelotti said after Wednesday's 4-0 win in the Group B clash that Bale would be back after "15 days of rest".

"We have spoken to the doctor and we will be without him, but we said all along it is very tough for him to have had no preseason and be thrown in at the deep end," Coleman said when announcing his squad.

Bale will miss Real's trip to Levante on Saturday and concerns over his fitness also make him a doubt for the home league match against Malaga on October 19 immediately after the international break.

Looking further ahead, Bale's participation in the Champions League visit of Juventus and the first clasico of the season against defending Spanish champions Barcelona later this month is also far from certain.

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