Tottenham star Bale set to miss rest of season

Tottenham Hotspur star Gareth Bale is set to miss the rest of the season, manager Harry Redknapp said on Monday. The Wales star had to be carried off on a stretcher following a challenge by Charlie Adam during Spurs' 1-1 draw with Blackpool on Saturday. Bale, arguably Tottenham's best player this term, was due to have a scan on his left leg on Monday amid fears he'd damaged ankle ligaments. Redknapp said Bale would miss Tuesday's Premier League match against Manchester City, a game that will have a key bearing on the race for the fourth Champions League place on offer to English clubs. And he added Bale was likely to miss Spurs' remaining games, against Liverpool and Birmingham. Spurs are six points behind fourth-placed City and so need to win their three remaining matches if they are to overhaul Roberto Mancini's expensively assembled side. "It looks like he has done his ankle ligaments," Redknapp told reporters on Monday. "I don't see him playing again this season." "It's badly swollen, his ankle. We will just have to wait and see how bad the damage is," Redknapp added. Bale, 21, alerted the whole of Europe to his ability with two barnstorming displays against Inter Milan in the group phase of this season's Champions League and his form saw the winger named player of the year by England's Professional Footballers' Association. Redknapp though stressed Tottenham, who have seen Bale sidelined by hamstring and back problems this season, were well capable of coping without their rising star. "It's a blow but we have been without Gareth quite a bit recently," Redknapp said. "He has had injuries and he hasn't really come back from those injuries to the form (he was in before). "It's been difficult for him. The injuries have knocked him back. "He has had a fantastic season. The first three-quarters of the season, he was unplayable. He was making goals and scoring goals and he won player of the year. "Over the last couple of months the injury has taken its toll on him. During that time he hasn't quite been the same boy and now he has another injury that rules him out again." But Redknapp added he thought Bale would be available for Tottenham's pre-season tour of South Africa. "He should be fit for pre-season," Redknapp said. "It's not that serious. It shouldn't be a problem. We don't think he has ruptured them (his ankle ligaments). We don't know until we have the results of the scan. Hopefully he hasn't."