Gareth Bale ruled out until April?

Real Madrid striker Gareth Bale will reportedly remain on the sidelines until April as he recovers from an ankle injury.

The 27-year-old has been out of action since damaging tendons in his ankle during Madrid's Champions League victory at Sporting Lisbon on November 22.

Bale underwent a successful operation on the injury in London earlier this week and, according to AS, the procedure revealed that "the extent of the issue is greater than first thought".

Initial estimates had placed his recovery time at two to three months, but the latest assessment gives a time frame of around four months.

The news means that Bale could now miss Madrid's next 25 fixtures in all competitions, including the next 14 matchdays in La Liga.