Gareth Bale is out of Wales’ final two World Cup Group D qualifying fixtures – meaning that he will miss the clash with Ireland in Cardiff on Monday. We knew that the Real Madrid forward had damaged a calf muscle, but initially the extent of the injury was played down by the club’s manager Zinedine Zidane, who allowed Bale to join the Welsh squad in preparation for their away game to Georgia later this week.

Now the world has come crashing down from a Welsh perspective, with confirmation coming through that Bale has been ruled out of both the Georgia and Ireland games.

While managers will never admit publicly to wanting news like this – “we always want to test ourselves against the best possible opposition” is the customary cliche – there is little doubt that the Irish management team of Martin O’Neill and Roy Keane will be hugely grateful. Bale’s absence represents a boost to Ireland’s chances – and not just when the two teams meet.

The game against Georgia is a potentially perilous one for Wales – and the loss of their talismanic main-man makes the prospect of a Welsh victory even more difficult. Bale is the kind of player who can turn a game with a moment of supreme brilliance. He flits from wing to wing and is capable of terrorising full-backs on either side.

He is capable of scoring from a distance; with his head; or by getting on the end of something in the box. He is the kind of player that you’d love to have in your team – and, right now, Ireland doesn’t have anyone remotely like an equivalent.

Wales have other very good players – notably Aaron Ramsey, who is on a good run of form for Arsenal. But shorn of Bale, they are as far less intimidating prospect – and, in the first instance, a technically proficient Georgia may be able to take advantage. And if they do, then Wales simply cannot go into the final game with anything like the same motivation to beat Ireland.

Either way, of course, Ireland have to do the business first against Moldova in Dublin. It is a game that Martin O’Neill’s side should win. But that is not a given – not by a long shot. It could be a very long week indeed!