Gareth Bale injury: Real Madrid forward ruled out for three weeks and in race to be fit for Champions League Roma clash

Bale suffered a fifth calf injury during his time at Real in Sunday's 5-1 victory over Sporting Gijon

Gareth Bale has been ruled out for three weeks with a calf injury (Getty Images)

Gareth Bale looks set to miss Real Madrid’s next four matches, and he facing a race to be fit for the Champions League last-16 first leg against Roma having suffered a calf injury in the 5-1 win over Sporting Gijon.

Bale will definitely miss his weekend’s La Liga trip to Real Betis as well as the following matches against Espanyol at home and the away match at Granada.

With Real set to take on Serie A side Roma – who last week sacked manager Rudi Garcia – in the first of two legs on 17 February, Real manager Zinedine Zidane will not rush Bale back into action given his previous injury troubles, with the issue his fifth separate calf injury in his two-and-a-half years since completing a world record £86m move to Madrid.

Zidane has been impressed with Bale’s start to his reign as manager since replacing Rafa Benitez earlier this month, with the Wales international netting a hat-trick in the 5-0 demolition of Deportivo La Coruna last week and also scoring in the victory over Sporting on Sunday.

However, there is a chance that Bale could return the weekend before the Champions League encounter at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome as he is targeting a comeback in the La Liga clash against Athletic Bilbao on 13 February.

Bale underwent a scan today on the injury with the prognosis being three weeks out of action, and Zidane admitted after the match that his absence would come as a blow to their hopes of challenging Barcelona and Atletico Madrid in the race for the La Liga title.

"Karim [Benzema]is just a bang, thankfully," Zidane said after the match. "Gareth's is a bit more difficult, calf muscle, on the left, another problem. But we will see the scans tomorrow, and hope it is a small one."

The options to replace Bale appear to be limited to just two, with Real academy product Jese Rodriguez set to be up against Colombia international James Rodriguez. Zidane has so far elected to start Isco instead of James Rodriguez with the Spain international laying on an assist for Benzema’s final goal at the weekend.

But despite suggestions that Zidane does not see James Rodriguez featuring in his future plans, the former France international has stressed that he does not need to do anything special to win back his place in the team.

"Keep doing what he is doing," Zidane explained. "Working all week to arrive well at the games. We are all in the same boat here. At the moment Isco is playing ahead of James, next game could be different. The most difficult for me is to pick the team.

“I have 25 very good players, training well. But that is my responsibility. I must take decisions. They all want to play, I understand that, but in the end the most important is the team, the group."

However, when Bale was forced to go off at half-time, it was Jese Rodriguez that Zidane elected to send on, leaving James Rodriguez on the substitutes' bench until the hour mark when he replaced Isco.