A bad night for Wales fans grew worse with the news that Gareth Bale looks certain to miss Tuesday’s UEFA Nations League match against the Republic of Ireland.
After seeing his team dismantled and left deflated by 4-1 home defeat to Spain on Thursday, Wales manager Ryan Giggs then revealed that Bale – who missed the friendly – is unlikely to recover from a groin injury.
“It is very unlikely at this point,” Giggs told Sky Sports about Bale’s availability after the Spain defeat.
“It’s nothing serious but obviously the closer we get to the game, we have to make a decision. At the moment it is unlikely.”
Giggs criticised his Wales team following their defeat, calling out their inability to do “the basics right”.
This was probably Giggs’ biggest test of his managerial career but without Bale they were second best as Paco Alcacer netted twice while Sergio Ramos and Marc Bartra also headed home.
Sam Vokes scored a late consolation for the hosts but Giggs did not see too many positives in the performance.
“We came up against a very good team,” he said.
“They are comfortable on the ball and when they lost it they got it back quickly – all the things we knew. The disappointing thing for me was not doing the basics. In football you have to do the basics right, even if you come up against an average team. But when you come up against a really good team and don’t do the basics right, you’re in trouble.
“There was so many mistakes – we conceded some poor goals. To concede that early against this team so early, you’re up against it and you have to chase.”
Giggs is adamant Wales will cut out the sloppy mistakes and put on a better show against the team they thrashed 4-1 in Cardiff in September.
“That’s the good thing about football, you’ve always got the next game,” he said.
“In the last camp we lost to Denmark and you have to wait a month. This time we got beat well in the first game and now we have to react. It will be another tough game but we will be better.”
Spain continued their sparkling start to life under Luis Enrique as they earned a third straight win since their former Barcelona manager took charge.
Alcacer continued his rampant form by smashing the ball into the top corner in the eighth minute at the Principality Stadium, scoring for the fifth game in a row after netting seven times in his last four outings for Borussia Dortmund.
Spain captain Sergio Ramos doubled the lead with a header from Suso’s free kick in the 19th and striker Alcacer volleyed his second after a defensive mix-up before the half-hour mark.
Defender Marc Bartra, who like Alcacer played under Enrique at Barca, got his first international goal with a header from a corner in the 74th, Spain’s 12th strike under the new coach after beating Croatia 6-0 and England 2-1 in the Nations League.
Vokes got a consolation for Giggs’ side in the 89th minute, heading a David Brooks cross beyond goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, who replaced David de Gea in the second half.
Bale watched from the stands and was honoured on the pitch at half-time for becoming his country’s record scorer last March when he overtook Ian Rush’s tally of 28 goals.
The home side’s injury problems worsened when teenager Ethan Ampadu was forced off early in the second half.
Both sides are in Nations League action next week with Spain hosting England on Monday and Wales visiting Ireland on Tuesday.
