Alvaro Arbeloa has responded to criticism after he reportedly injured Gareth Bale.
A rather strange report is emanating from Spain today – regarding two ex-Premier League players currently playing at Real Madrid. It involved this summer’s transfer saga extraordinaire Gareth Bale and former Liverpool full-back Alvaro Arbeloa.
Gareth Bale made his most recent comeback from niggling injury troubles against Celta Vigo in midweek – and it follows a string of disappointing stints on the side-lines injured for the former Tottenham Hotspur star.
Bale, who cost Real a fee in the region of £85.3 million this summer, has been in and out of the treatment room in the Spanish capital – and today it was reported that a team-mate might have been at fault for such issues.
Cadena SER, who are often worth a good scoop, report that former Liverpool man Arbeloa left Bale with a ‘numb and blackened leg’ after a reckless challenge during training.
They then allege that the incident was ‘covered up’ by Real Madrid…but why?
Well because Arbeloa has previous when it comes to injuring team-mates. He was the man who broke Iker Casillas’ hand last year that left him out of action for several months – and saw him lose his place in the first team.
The ex-Liverpool man was not popular at the club anyway – after a summer where he publicly criticised ‘immature’ team-mates for letting down universally unpopular Madrid boss Jose Mourinho last season.
He was one of few players to back up the Portuguese … but that was not popular with the fans.
So it seems Real were trying to protect Arbeloa from a fan backlash, but the cat was seemingly let out of the bag … or was it.
Because Arbeloa has sarcastically denied causing the injury to Bale on his official Twitter account. For those of you about as fluent in Spanish as I am … here is the translation…
“Actually I ran him over with my car, but the guy is strong & still alive…”
image: © apasciuto
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