Gareth Bale dropped out of the squad because of discomfort in his back

We’re a little late reporting this — though we already posted the squad list for the Espanyol game earlier did which did not contain Gareth Bale — it’s worth noting that the reason Bale won’t feature at all against Espanyol is because of back problems.

The Welshman, who trained normally all week, approached the coaching staff before the list was released and reported that he can’t play due to ‘discomfort in his back’. The club, as MARCA reported, felt neutral — no surprise nor anger — and just axed him from the list without much fuss.

Of course, the media has made a big deal of it because it’s Bale and it’s a recurring pattern with him to do this at the club. It’s frustrating, but more than being annoyed at this point, there is a feeling of disappointment that he won’t be celebrating with his teammates, hoisting the trophy tomorrow should Real Madrid win.

Bale still may feature at the Bernabeu this season (though, you never know), but not being there for the trophy celebrations is a sour note to end on.