"Bale had discomfort in his abductor at half-time and as a precaution he didn't come out for the second half. We will test him tomorrow and we'll see."
Sunday 30 September 2018 08:34, UK
Gareth Bale's substitution at half-time of Real Madrid's 0-0 draw with Atletico was a precaution, according to Julen Lopetegui.
The Real Madrid coach revealed Bale, who has scored four goals so far this season, picked up an abductor injury after his side endured a frustrating evening against their rivals at the Bernabeu.
It could prove to be another injury setback for Real, who were also without Isco and Marcelo, with Bale now a doubt ahead of the Champions League trip to CSKA Moscow.
"Bale had discomfort in his abductor at half-time and as a precaution he didn't come out for the second half," Lopetegui said.
"We will test him tomorrow and we'll see."
He added: "Isco had appendicitis, which is a shame, and we hope that Marcelo is back in a few weeks.
"It's not good that we've got injuries and we will look for solutions."
Meanwhile, Lopetegui believes his team must stay positive despite the frustrations of not being able to beat rivals Atletico at the Bernabeu.
Earlier in the day, Barcelona - who were stunned at Leganes on Wednesday - could only muster a 1-1 draw at home against Athletic Bilbao, which meant Real had the chance to move ahead at the top of the table. However, Real failed to produce a response from the midweek loss at Sevilla, and lacked a cutting edge.
Goalkeepers Thibaut Courtois and Jan Oblak each made one key save in either half as both teams had to make do with a share of the spoils.
"We didn't win the game simply because we didn't manage to score, but overall, I think that we were by far the better side, particularly in the second half, in which we created several chances," Lopetegui said.
"After the break, we managed to pen Atletico back into their own half, overcame adversity and delivered a good performance. However, if you don't score, you don't win football matches.
"I take some big positives from tonight's game. When faced with difficulty, the team stood tall and improved, having had a day's less rest [to prepare] and with some absentees, and showed character and personality.
"We played well, but failed to get the goal to make our dominance tell. The goals will come. We've had chances and they will come."
Lopetegui added: "La Liga is competitive and long for everyone, and every game is extremely difficult.
"We don't focus on the opposition, we know that it'll be a long road and a difficult one. There's a long way to go and we have to give our all."
