Gareth Bale's golfing escapades were not a great idea...

An athlete’s performance relies heavily on three fundamental pillars: a balanced diet, good physical preparation and adequate rest. When one of these pillars topples, the performance will suffer as a result. Gareth Bale played against Getafe on Saturday and complained of some muscular discomfort after the game. The Welshman then travelled to Cádiz the following day to play golf, which is a clear example of a player not resting properly after a match.

No matter what way you break it down, a 700-kilometre trip is a long one. Add to that a long day of walking across different kinds of terrain before taking another flight back to Madrid. I’m not placing all the blame on the player. Who am I to do that? I am merely analysing the various forces that can help speed up or impede the recovery from injury. I am fully aware that both club and player must bow down to the demands of sponsors from time to time. However, as someone who studies physical performance and injury prevention, I have to insist that these kinds of events are not the most appropriate for top athletes.