Bale's injury woes strike again LaLiga Santander - Real Madrid vs Atletico Madrid Replaced at half time in the derby

Halfway through the Madrid derby on Saturday night, Gareth Bale was forced off with an injury after close to a year of being injury-free.

In the 40th minute the Welshman started to put his hand on his right adductor and stretch on the pitch, gestures that have been all too familiar during his time at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu.

He continued to call for the ball when Real Madrid were in possession, but, when they weren't in possession his body language did not suggest he was a player at 100 percent.

He held on until the break, but it was Dani Ceballos and not Bale who came out for the second half.

Including his 40 minutes in the derby, Bale had played seven times this season and contributed with four goals and three assists.

He had established himself as a leader in the team's attack and just when it seemed as though his worst injury woes may be behind him, his night was cut short.

Tests will inevitably follow to determine the extent of his injury, but all early indications suggest that he will not feature for at least a week, ruling him out of the Champions League meeting with CSKA Moscow and the fixture against Leganes in LaLiga Santander.

The news is not good for Wales either, as he may have to miss his country's mid-October match against Spain.

With this development, Julen Lopetegui continues to lose his attacking troops and Marcelo, another important player in Madrid's attacking makeup, is also out for the next few weeks.