WALES star Gareth Bale has been ruled out of Real Madrid’s Champions League clash with Liverpool on Wednesday with an injury picked up on international duty.

The world’s most expensive player is also a doubt for Saturday’s El Clasico showdown with Barcelona after suffering a gluteal muscle injury in last week’s 2-1 win over Cyprus.

Real boss Carlo Ancelotti left him on the bench for the weekend's La Liga match with Levante, which Real won 5-0.

The news is a big blow for Ancelotti before the mouth-watering clash with Liverpool at Anfield and will also be a worry for Wales manager Chris Coleman ahead of the national side’s crucial trip to Belgium next month.

Speaking after Saturday’s rout of Levante, Ancelotti said: “Bale had a problem in his glute.

"He wasn't comfortable so we preferred to not risk it for this game and we will evaluate it in the next few days. He wasn't left out due to rotation.

"We now have a few days to evaluate the situation with Bale, Karim Benzema, Raphael Varane, Sergio Ramos and all those that were out for this game.

"I think we are arriving well into this week. We had a difficult game to prepare here, but we played very well and seriously. We were very concentrated and it all went well.

"Now we have time to, firstly, recover some players, and then think about the game on Wednesday."

Coleman will need Bale fit and firing for the Euro 2016 qualifier in Brussels on November 16.

The Wales boss was boosted this weekend by the return to fitness of Aaron Ramsey and Newport’s James Collins and Lee Evans for their clubs.

Arsenal ace Ramsey made his comeback from injury as a 63rd-minute substitute in the 2-2 draw with Hull City on Saturday.

And the 23-year-old, who had been out with a hamstring injury since the north London derby against Tottenham Hotspur last month, is expected to feature in the Gunners' Champions League clash with Anderlecht on Wednesday.

Wales went into the recent games against Cyprus and Bosnia-Herzegovina with Ramsey among 11 players injured.

But Coleman's side will go to Belgium top of Group B and unbeaten, having followed up the opening 2-1 in Andorra with a 0-0 draw against Bosnia and the victory over Cyprus, both at the Cardiff City Stadium.