Gareth Bale out for up to four months with ankle injury

Welsh winger Gareth Bale chances of featuring against Ireland when the sides meet in a World Cup qualifier in March have suffered a blow after Real Madrid announced he is to undergo surgery. “In front of their passionate fans, Sporting will want to put us in trouble and the most important thing is that we must be ready as a team to face that threat”, UEFA’s official website quoted Zidane as saying.

The setback comes barely more than a month after Bale signed a new deal with Real Madrid, which will keep him at the Spanish giant until 2022. “We only missed a few details”, Sporting coach Jorge Jesus said.

Zidane was naturally happy with his side’s efforts in Portugal.

“We don’t think about who we could get in the next round, we only think about winning and finishing first in the group”.

In his first trip back to Lisbon in September 2007 as a member of Manchester United, Ronaldo scored the lone goal in a 1-0 match in Champions League group play. No seriously, I woke up aware that it was a special day, that we were going to play the final of the Euros in France against France, but I still slept eight hours.

Real are second in Group F, two points behind Borussia Dortmund, and will aim to pip their German rivals for top spot when they meet in Madrid in their final group game on December 7.

Dortmund, who romped to an 8-4 win over Legia Warsaw, travel to Madrid next month, with the victor to claim top spot, although the visitors have a two-point advantage in the case of a draw. “We must look to recover because it isn’t easy for these players playing every three days”.

Sporting, meanwhile, must now turn their attention to beating Legia Warsaw to third in Group F and know that a draw against the Poles on matchday six would seal a Europa League berth after Christmas.

Sporting were reduced to 10 men in the 64th minute following the dismissal of Pereira when the defender appeared to punch Kovacic in the stomach as the duo squared up on the far touchline, leaving Scottish referee Willie Collum little option but to show a red card.

“We were great both technically and tactically. My players did well and, with time, they will learn not to fail in those small details”.