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The pictures were hardly comforting to Spurs fans, Gareth Bale being stretchered off the White Hart Lane field, plastic splint wrapped around his lower right leg, head in hands in apparent emotional and / or physical distress.

Were Spurs fans watching their team’s chances of retaining top four EPL positioning dwindling before their very north London eyes?

Bale rolled his right ankle near the end of Tottenham’s 2-2 Europa League draw Thursday with Basel. Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas told the BBC there was “a lot of pain, but hopefully not as bad as it could have been.”

Even a short-absence could be damaging. A peek at the schedule shows why it’s a particularly tough time for Tottenham to go without their top man. Bale would seem unlikely to be ready for Sunday’s match at home with Everton, one of the pursuers for Spurs’ current hold on the Champions League berth.

Following next week’s trip into Switzerland for the back half of the Europa League quarterfinal series, Bale and his boys travel across London to meet Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, then have a week to get ready for Manchester City’s visit.

So Tottenham’s next three league matches are against teams sitting 6^th, 4^th and 2^nd in the Premier League.

By the way, as far as “Bale as England Player of the Year,” he already has a pretty swanky endorsement. This is what none other than Zinedine Zidane said earlier this week about his personal choice (Bale):

Exactly two weeks since Yaya Toure’s agent announced that his client felt disrespected by Manchester City and believed the club no longer wanted him, the incredible has happened. You guessed it, Toure put pen to paper today on a new four year deal to stay at the Etihad.

As compensation for the 29 year old’s services, Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan will reportedly pay the Ivorian a cool $333,000/£220,000 a week.

Yes, my friends, that is a ton of moolah. That’s the kind of moolah that is a real game changer. That’s the kind of moolah that – dare I say it – makes one think that maybe, just maybe, Yaya Toure is all about the moolah.

I mean, what about all that noise Toure made over wanting to play with his brother, Kolo, who will inevitably be leaving City this summer?

“This is where I want to be,” Toure announced on City’s official website. “When I first arrived at City every time I went to sleep I would dream about us winning something; now it is about us being the best team in whatever competition we take part in.”

Awww, that’s so sweet, Yaya!

But what about Toure’s dream of finishing his career at Barcelona?

“I will never forget how I have been treated here by the fans, the club and the owners and nothing would give me greater pleasure than to finish my career as a Manchester City player.

“I want to continue winning titles and trophies and continue to make history. I have enjoyed all of my time here and can’t wait for the next chapter. This is an incredible club to be part of with fans that support a team to the end whatever the circumstances.”

Awwwwww, Yaya, stop! If you keep trying to convince me of your dedication to everything other than moneymy eyes might just well up with tears!

Seriously though, folks. If we’ve seen this ‘I’m sad/I feel disrespected/The club doesn’t love me‘ move once (see Rooney, Wayne), we’ve seen it a million times. Yaya Toure isn’t a bad dude. I like Yaya Toure. Because at the end of the day footballers are just like you and me – they want to make the most money possible.

But this whole charade of creating false drama to gain contractual leverage needs to beat it.

Master tactics or merely a coincidence?

That’s the question after Real Madrid’s Sergio Ramos and Xabi Alonso both earned suspensions for yellow card accumulation during their first-leg Champions League match against Galatasaray. Both players were cautioned towards the end of the match meaning they will be suspended for the second-leg of the quarter-final in Istanbul on April 9. UEFA rules state that any player who accumulates three yellow cards during the Champions League knockout stages is suspended for his next match.

The theory is that Ramos and Alonso – as directed by Mourinho – intentionally got themselves booked knowing that Madrid’s three goal cushion essentially renders the second leg a mere formality. For Galatasaray fans it’s an offensive suggestion but is nevertheless worth exploring as UEFA rules state that players who deliberately seek a booking can be handed a two-game ban.

The problem, of course, is proving that Ramos and Alonso deliberately sought the booking. At the moment the best evidence is that both players went into the book when the match was 3-0 with time nearly having expired. Alonso was booked in the 84th minute for an angry confrontation with referee Svein Oddvar Moen, who made a host of questionable decisions throughout the night. Six minutes later, Ramos followed suit as he kicked the ball away after committing a foul. While one could argue that both instances indicate a desire to be cautioned as they were innocuous occurrences transpiring outside the run of play, proving intent seems impossible unless Ramos and Alonso admit to their misdeeds.

Even assuming UEFA somehow manages to prove intent, the ramifications could be devastating as players will thereafter have to be even more convincing in their efforts to be booked. This could result in intentional fouls comitted during the run of play, which raises the potential for injury. It’s a slippery slope that UEFA is on with this rule and one that, if the governing body is not careful, could get out of hand.

In all likelihood Ramos and Alonso will not be assessed a two match ban. But a variety of penalties could ensue, as there is precedence.

Three years ago both Ramos and Alonso were sent off in a Champions League knockout stage match at Ajax. Late in that game Madrid was winning 4-0 when the duo, both one card away from suspension, wasted time during free-kicks. They were each issued second yellow cards, sent off and suspended for the irrelevant final group game. But when the next round of games came both enjoyed a clean slate. UEFA thereafter handed Jose Mourinho a two-game suspension and a £35,000 fine, while Ramos and Alonso were each fined £18,000.

If you’re sitting there reading this and thinking, ‘holy crap, that’s nuts‘, that’s because it is nuts. It’s nuts that UEFA can assess such steep penalties on an intent-heavy rule but it’s even more nuts that Mourinho is that clever of a manger. He knew the rule, recognized the loophole and did his best to access it.

Europa League may be a wee bit under-loved, the NIT of soccer in the Old World and all, but it certainly does deliver some crackerjack matches, doesn’t it?

Tottenham-Basel on Thursday was a great example. Tottenham fell behind by two goals inside 35 minutes as the spirited fans from Switzerland sang with great joy from inside White Hart Lane. But Tottenham rallied behind goals from Emmanuel Adebayor and Gylfi Sigurdsson to finish in a swell 2-2 draw in the Europa League quarterfinal first leg.

Tottenham’s defending, nervous and messy, plus a good attacking initiative from two sides willing to be aggressive made this match a dandy to watch, even for fans unattached to either side.

Scott Parker’s first half miss (still trying to sort out exactly how he went wide from inside the six, with only his own fallen player to avoid) was among the numerous chances that came and went with such rapid succession on either side.

The only bummer was Gareth Bale’s late ankle injury; more on that one later, because it could be huge for Spurs in so many ways. We might be talking about Aaron Lennon’s hamstring injury earlier in the match, but Bale’s ongoing availability is far more important around the north London ground.

(MORE: Bale injury may not be as serious as it seemed)

Andre Villas-Boas and his Spurs have made this tournament a priority, possibly even at the expense of ongoing EPL matters; Third-place Spurs must hold off Arsenal, Liverpool and Everton for a top-four finish and a lucrative Champions League spot next year. (That very spot, of course, was the apple in Clint Dempsey’s eye when he moved so dramatically out of Fulham a few months ago.)

The two away goals for Basel will make things hard on Villas-Boas and his men in next week’s return leg, especially if there is no Gareth Bale. Ironically, in a game with so many offensive flare-ups, Bale was mostly quiet on Thursday, but Spurs will surely hate the thought of traveling to Switzerland without him.

The body blows keep coming for Major League Soccer’s chances of landing a team in CONCACAF Champions League final, and the league look close to tapping out.

As if last night’s calamitous final 10 minutes at the Home Depot Center were not enough – the Galaxy seemed to have things under control against Monterrey, but conceded two late strikes to the Liga MX side and fell 2-1 to start the series with a huge thud – some alarming injury news today out of Seattle today has further dented league aspirations.

The Seattle Times reported today that Sounders striker Obafemi Martins has left the team for some secret, undisclosed location to help deal with a lingering knee issue. (Seriously, what’s up with the secrecy?) It’s the same issue that prevented the Sounders’ new DP striker from playing in Tuesday’s first leg, where Santos Laguna took a 1-0 win out of Seattle to open the clubs’ CONCACAF Champions League semifinal series.

Both MLS teams travel to Mexico for next week’s return legs, both dragging one goal deficits. So each home side requires only a draw to advance into the championship series, with a spot in this winter’s FIFA Club World Cup awaiting the ultimate winner.

The four-time world player of the year limped off at half-time during Tuesday's 2-2 draw, prompting worries he had suffered a torn muscle that would end his season early.

He is certain to miss Saturday's Primera Liga clash with Mallorca but could yet feature in the return leg against Carlo Ancelotti's side at the Nou Camp on 10 April.

"The club's medical services have revealed that Leo Messi's hamstring injury will definitely rule him out of this weekend's game against Mallorca, whilst his availability after that will depend on how the injury progresses," read a statement on Barcelona's website.

"The Barca number 10 felt a twinge in his right hamstring towards the end of the first half last night."

Messi also confirmed the injury was less serious than first thought in a statement posted on his official Facebook page on Wednesday.

"I will return soon," he said. "Thankfully it was not so serious."

Messi's absence against Mallorca brings an end to his incredible 19-game scoring streak in La Liga.

He became the first player to score against every other team in La Liga consecutively when he netted in a 2-2 draw against Celta Vigo at the weekend.

BRENDAN RODGERS has dismissed suggestions Pepe Reina is unsettled and is confident the goalkeeper will still be at Liverpool beyond the summer.

Reina’s future has been the subject of speculation after struggling for form and fitness for large parts of the campaign.

The Spaniard has missed 15 games this season through injury and at one point was under serious pressure from deputy Brad Jones for his starting role.

Barcelona – where Reina began his career – have been continually linked with a move for the 30-year-old as replacement

for Victor Valdes, who is expected to be sold in the summer after announcing he will not sign a new deal at the Nou Camp.

But asked if he was counting on Reina for next season, Rodgers said: "Yes. He’s never been unsettled and our relationship is very strong.

"I think a lot of the stuff this year has been based on speculation with Valdes going, or possibly going, there have been links they (Barcelona) will be in for another keeper. His dad has said some things and whatever.

"I have given him and a few of the senior boys real responsibility and I think they have enjoyed that.

"I see him as someone who is hopefully going to be here. He is 30 and is someone who looks after his body.

"The sports science team this year have worked really well with him. I think he’s been outstanding for us and had great focus and hopefully that will continue for us.”

Reina has made 387 appearances for Liverpool since arriving from Villarreal for £6million in July 2005.

And Rodgers added: "Pepe and I speak a lot.

"He’s a good man and I’ve got real respect for him as a player and as a human being.

"He understands everything we are trying to here and is a great voice in the little debriefing meetings we have with the group and with the defenders and other goalkeepers.

"He’s brilliant. And on a personal level we’ll sit and have a cup of tea in the office and we’ll chat about where he’s at with his game and how he can improve his game.”