Real Madrid coach Rafael Benitez said it would have been "difficult" to ask Gareth Bale not to play for Wales last week, while suggesting the galactico's latest thigh injury could be down to over-exertion while on international duty.
Bale played in both Wales' recent Euro 2016 qualifiers against Bosnia-Herzegovina and Andorra, completing the 90 minutes in both games even though by the final match a place at next summer's competition in France had already been secured.
The €100 million summer 2013 signing had joined up with Wales having not started a game for Madrid since mid-September due to a calf injury, and is now set to miss Wednesday's Champions League group match at Paris Saint-Germain after a new problem in the same area was detected following Saturday's La Liga game at home to Levante.
AS has reported that Bale has now had five separate spells on the sidelines due to problems with this same muscle in just over two seasons with Madrid, while some more local pundits have criticised the 26-year-old for playing an unimportant game for his country when his club needed him fit and ready.
Benitez has suggested to ESradio programme El Primer Palo that with Wales having qualified for their first major tournament since 1958, and Bale such a "big idol" there, that it had been tricky to manage the situation.
"There is the feeling and affinity people have for their country, with their people," Benitez said. "[Bale] has become such a big idol that it is difficult to manage. He played this game, and logically we were in contact to know his thinking and that of his national coach."
Bale started against Levante after having completed just one training session with Madrid following a late return from international duty, and was substituted at half-time with Benitez saying the player had wanted to continue but had looked "fatigued."
"The other day, when he came off at half-time, he wanted to continue," Benitez said. "We could see he was fatigued. And when you are tired there is more chance of an injury. He wanted to play on, I said no, and we let him rest. Now the most urgent thing is to begin the treatment, and they will tell us what is expected in one or two days."
Asked whether it was possible to give Cristiano Ronaldo a rest through the current months so he does not have any similar problems, Benitez suggested the 30-year-old superstar could manage his own effort during games.
"Our players know that to win you must manage things," he said. "I have always said that there are some players who at 70 percent are more important than another at 100 percent."
Bale's latest problem sees him join a Madrid injury list which also included James Rodriguez, Karim Benzema, Pepe, Alvaro Arbeloa and Dani Carvajal, although recently sidelined Luka Modric and Sergio Ramos have been included in a 19-man travelling party for Wednesday's game in Paris.
According to Marca, the Madrid players are unhappy with the club's medical staff, and in particular have asked for chief of medical services Jesus Olmo to be kept out of the dressing room.
Ex-Blancos coach Carlo Ancelotti also reportedly clashed with Olmo last year, but the doctor has kept the backing of club president Florentino Perez.
