Real Madrid: Gareth Bale set to return against Sevilla

Real Madrid will face Sevilla at home on Saturday after winning the Spanish Supercup, and they will likely receive a boost in the form of a returning Gareth Bale.

Although injuries have mostly been the cause of Gareth Bale being in and out of the Real Madrid lineup this season, the Wales international recently missed both Spanish Supercup matches with an upper respiratory infection.

However, he should be back this week for Real Madrid’s La Liga fixture against Sevilla, whom they defeated in September at the Sanchez Pizjuan, 1-0.

According to a report from AS, Bale returned to practicing with the rest of his teammate’s on Tuesday and is expected to be available for selection in the lineup on Saturday.

Zinedine Zidane usually plays things cautious with injured players, especially players who are older or have a history of injuries. That said, Bale is coming off an illness, so if he is 100 percent after missing both Supercup games, then there’s a real chance he could be in the starting lineup ahead of Rodrygo Goes.

Real Madrid opted for midfield-heavy formations without Bale and Karim Benzema, who is still in question due to a hamstring injury, in the Supercup. Sevilla are a gritty team, so perhaps Real could go with a similar possession-based approach, which would make Bale more of an impact substitute off the bench.

Either way, Bale is a good option to have in the lineup, because while he still hasn’t been at his best this season, he’s provided some nice plays. For example, his pass sprung a decisive counterattack goal in Real’s 3-0 win over Getafe a couple of weeks ago.

It’s great to see that Bale is recovering from his respiratory infection and scheduled to be available this weekend. Los Blancos are indeed a stronger team when he is healthy.