Revealed: The full extent of Tottenham star Gareth Bale’s injury problems – and what he’s gone through to face Real Madrid

April 5, 2011

5 Apr 2011 10:00:00

Gareth Bale, Tottenham Hotspur

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EXCLUSIVE
By Wayne Veysey | Chief correspondent in Madrid

Tottenham have devised a tailor-made exercise programme for Gareth Bale to ease his pain from back-related injuries and get him fit for the club’s biggest match in a generation, Goal.com UK can reveal.

The 21-year-old midfielder has suffered from unique postural problems since he was a youth-team player coming through the ranks at Southampton.

Sources close to the player have revealed that Bale has been given a strict programme of regular exercises by his club, Tottenham, to correct the genetic posture condition.

It is said to be key to the midfielder overcoming the problems that have blighted him this year and fulfilling his potential as one of the outstanding young players in Europe.

Bale has completed only one match since suffering a back injury at the end of January that led to a six-week lay-off and has contributed to a series of niggling injuries to his hamstrings, thighs and groin.

There has been doubt about whether he would recover in time for the first leg of Spurs’ Champions League quarter-final clash with Real Madrid but fitness and medical staff at White Hart Lane are confident that if Bale adheres to the procedure he can be pain-free for the season run-in.

“Gareth has had postural problems for six or seven years, before he broke into the first team at Southampton,” a source told Goal.com UK. “It is just the way he is built. He is going to be more at risk of the type of injuries he has been getting.

“People have very different postures that affect their spines. Some people have more load based on their posture, so it is about reducing the load that goes through the body.

“Surgery will not solve it. If he was to have surgery, Gareth will still be built in the same way.”

Bale’s problems are not too dissimilar to those suffered by Steven Gerrard when he first emerged on the scene at Liverpool a decade ago. After being forced into frequent back-related problems that also affected his groin, hamstrings and thighs, a French ostepath changed the Liverpool man’s posture and manipulated his body back into shape.

Seen the back of it | Bale has struggled with injury since suffering back problem in January

Similarly, there are no fears among the Tottenham staff that Bale’s conditions cannot be treated.

“It is very easily managed,” explained the source. “Gareth has a programme to get his back aligned and get his body in synch that is set by the people who work with him at Spurs.

“Basically, they are a series of correctal, floor-based mat exercises to keep him in a stable position, including ones that switch the glutes on, switch the core muscles on and alleviate the hamstrings.

“Gareth does certain exercises on set days depending on the intensity of the days. He is learning how to manage and understand his body. The soreness and tears and strains are all similar symptoms.”

The latest problem to dog Bale following his recovery from the back problem has been the hamstring injury that forced him to sit out Wales’ Euro 2012 qualifier against England 10 days ago.

However, the midfielder has made good progress under the watchful eyes of his club’s medical and fitness staff. He returned to full first-team training last Thursday following three days of conditioning and non-football exercises.

Although Bale was absent from Spurs’ goal-less draw against Wigan Athletic at the weekend, it was partly with the Real Madrid clash in mind.

He trained with his team-mates at the Santiago Bernabeu on Monday night and manager Harry Redknapp said the Welshman will play against Jose Mourinho’s team if he suffers no setback from the final session before the match.

With Cristiano Ronaldo also passed fit by Mourinho, there is the mouthwatering prospect of two of the world’s most exciting wide players crossing swords. The Portuguese had played some mind games about Ronaldo’s fitness in the build-up but Redknapp was convinced he would always feature.

“He’s a certainty,” Redknapp said before adding: “Real Madrid are one of the great clubs of world football. Maybe they are the favourites but there is a confidence that we can do the job.”

That confidence has been boosted with the knowledge that William Gallas was able to train on Monday and he is set to take part in a match which Spurs may go into with two goalkeepers on the bench because of a crippling injury list.

Steven Pienaar, who has not travelled because of a groin complaint, and Niko Kranjcar, with a sore foot, are the latest to drop out. Defensive options, in particular, are depleted, with long-term victims Ledley King and Jonathan Woodgate no closer to a return and Alan Hutton ruled out for the rest of the season after having knee surgery.

“This will be our most difficult game so far,” Redknapp said. “I do think that whoever wins the Champions League will have to beat the two Spanish teams.”

Probable teams

Real Madrid (4-2-3-1): Casillas; Ramos, Pepe, Carvalho, Marcelo; Alonso, Khedira; Ronaldo, Oezil, Di Maria; Adebayor.

Tottenham (4-4-1-1): Gomes; Corluka, Dawson, Gallas, Assou-Ekotto; Lennon, Modric, Sandro, Bale; Van der Vaart; Crouch.

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