Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti has confirmed Gareth Bale is fit and in contention for this Saturday's Champions League final clash with Liverpool.
Bale has not featured for Los Blancos since April 9, a 16-minute substitute's cameo in La Liga in the 2-0 win over Getafe. He was, however, on the bench for the first leg of the Champions League semi-final clash with Manchester City on April 26.
The 32-year-old was left out of the matchday squad for his side's final league game of the season on Friday night, which saw Real draw 0-0 at with Betis at the Bernabeu. Bale was nowhere to be seen, with Ancelotti saying the player's absence was due to a lack of match fitness.
READ MORE : Exclusive interview with Gareth Bale's agent about Real Madrid and what the future holds
However, Bale will have one final opportunity to end his nine-year Real Madrid stint on a high when they take on Liverpool this weekend, with Ancelotti declaring the forward fit for the Stade de France showdown.
"[Eden] Hazard is fine. He can play in the final, Bale too. All the players want to play, even if it's five or 10 minutes," Ancelotti said on Tuesday in his pre-match press conference.
"I haven't had any trouble this season. Neither with Bale, nor with Isco. We respect each other a lot.”
Saturday's European showpiece event is a repeat of the 2018 final in which Bale proved to be the star of the show, scoring two stunning goals in the Spanish capital side's 3-1 win over Liverpool.
His first was a sensational overhead kick, while the second was a palm-stinging effort from 30 yards which was famously bundled into his own net by Reds goalkeeper Loris Karius.
While it is fanciful, perhaps, to expect Bale to have such a telling impact this time around, there is no doubt the player will want to end his career with Madrid both on the pitch and with another Champions League title under his belt – it would be his fifth.
Los Blancos assistant coach Davide Ancelotti, who was in Wales last weekend attending the FAW's National Coaches Conference at Newport, said: "Gareth is a guy that is loved around the place, from the coaching staff to his team-mates.
"This season he has struggled with injuries but we are happy to have him available for the final. He already gave a lot of trophies to Real Madrid and has a chance to give the club another one.
"He has written the history of the club because, if you see the pictures of the trophies in the big moments of Real Madrid, there is Gareth and, of course, he will be remembered there."
Videos which have emerged of Real Madrid training at their Valdebebas complex on Tuesday morning have shown Bale taking part in full training as he bids to force his way into Ancelotti's thoughts for the chance of a dream swansong on Saturday night.
Watch the video below
Should he get on to the pitch, Saturday will represent Bale's 259th and final appearance in the famous white shirt. As such, speculation surrounding his future has been rife.
In an interview with WalesOnline, Bale's agent, Jonathan Barnett, said of his time in Madrid: "In 10-15 years' time people in Madrid will look back and see what a truly great player Gareth was for Real Madrid. Everyone in Wales already knows that, but they will in Madrid too."
