Gareth Bale will miss longer than initially thought after ankle surgery

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Gareth Bale's problematic ankles have been the one thing that have kept him a very good, but not exceptional contributor for Real Madrid since he arrived at the club. He had ankle surgery this week, and his prognosis looks worse than first feared.

Bale will probably miss four months, keeping him out of some crucial fixtures. If Madrid draws Barcelona or Atlético Madrid in Copa del Rey before the final, he'll be unable to participate. Bale will also miss out on the Champions League Round of 16, and even the quarterfinals will be a stretch for him.

Time for Lucas Vazquez and Marco Asensio to prove they're good enough to be stars for Real Madrid.

Goal of the day

This 96th-minute goalkeeper bicycle kick from the South African Premiership.

In the news

Atlético Nacional's fans showed up to honor Chapecoense and it was incredible.

Edinson Cavani was booked for his tribute to Chape, which the referee apologized to him for. (ESPN FC)

Santi Cazorla will miss three months with an ankle injury. (Mirror)

Contrary to prior reports, Gareth Southgate's England contract does not have a break clause. (Guardian)

Southgate is very chill about players partying on their day off. (BBC)

Harry Kane has signed a new contract with Spurs, running until 2022. (Cartilage Free Captain)

Toronto FC will host Seattle Sounders in MLS Cup. (MLS)

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is feeling cocky. He's challenged Usain Bolt to a race. (Bundesliga)

Hey look Palermo changed managers again. (Football Italia)

You should be reading

Zito Madu on the Chapecoense crash victims' legacy and how they'll be celebrated.

David Perdomo Meza on distinct types of passers and what their passing networks might tell us. (Stats Bomb)

Luca Hodges-Ramon on the paradoxical politics of the Rome derby. (The Gentlemen Ultra)

What happened on Wednesday

Toronto FC beat Montreal Impact in a 7-5 aggregate classic.

Manchester United had no problem with West Ham in the EFL Cup. (The Busby Babe)

Southampton managed to pull off a minor upset of Arsenal. (St. Mary's Musings)

Madrid's B team advanced easily in Copa del Rey. (Managing Madrid)

Barca's B team struggled, but did enough to keep themselves favorites. (Barca Blaugranes)