Is El Clasico Bale’s last chance?

[PHOTO: COURTESY]

Real Madrid face a must-win Clasico tomorrow, and Gareth Bale is hoping to use the game as an opportunity to cement his long-term future at the club.

La Liga’s reigning champions are fourth in the table heading into the game, 11 points behind table-topping Barcelona — albeit with a game in hand — having dropped points in six of their 15 league games.

Bale has been absent for the majority of the campaign with a series of injuries, and those continual physical problems have led to speculation the club are willing to sell him.

Now he is back, and eager to earn another chance to show he deserves a place in Zinedine Zidane’s starting line-up. But it’s by no means certain he’ll be given that chance.

Spanish Super Cup

Though Real made history by claiming five trophies for the first time (La Liga, the Champions League, the Uefa and Spanish Super Cups and the Fifa Club World Cup), injury problems forced Bale into a peripheral role, and Spain international Isco has flourished as his replacement.

Thigh and calf injuries have restricted Bale to just five league appearances so far this season, while his total number of injuries since moving to Madrid has risen to 24.

During the autumn there was a growing sense that enough is enough, with all-powerful club president Florentino Perez — previously Bale’s biggest backer — reported to have run out of patience with the repeated unavailability of a player who was described in the media as being “made of glass”.

Amid rumours the Bernabeu hierarchy were preparing to sell Bale, there was an ominous note from Perez when he softened his support for the winger by appearing to compare him to former Real star Kaka, who Perez said was “never the same” after a serious knee injury.

Sensing the Wales international was being pushed out, most sections of the Spanish media adopted an aggressive tone. In October, for example, an article by Hector Martinez in sports daily AS stated Bale’s absence was “working in Zidane’s favour” and noted Real had won 10 per cent more games without the former Tottenham man than with him.

There was particular irritation with the idea Bale is more committed to his country than his club, with another article in AS claiming “Madrid pays for him, Wales enjoy him”.

One of Bale’s biggest critics, Santi Segurola, wrote in broadsheet newspaper La Vanguardia: “His value is dissipating on the pitch and on the transfer market.”

For the first time, it seemed the odds of Bale staying in Spain were stacking up against him.

Bale scored in the 81st minute to put Real into the Club World Cup final.

But just when it started to appear Bale had no future in Madrid, his latest returns have served a timely reminder of his world-class talents.

Last month, after eight weeks out, Bale came off the bench with his team facing humiliation as they trailed at home against third-tier Fuenlabrada in the Copa del Rey.

He promptly delivered a brilliant cross to create the equaliser for Borja Mayoral.