Bale, closer to back

Gareth Bale advances in his recovery to play again, more than three months later, with Real Madrid. The Briton, who returned touched from the last summons with his team, completed part of the training with the group this Friday, in the last session of the white team prior to tomorrow’s game on Saturday (21:00, Movistar LaLiga) against Real Sociedad. The Welshman ran continuously with his teammates, participated in other exercises and completed the training with individual work with the ball.

Ancelotti ruled it out to travel to San Sebastián, but he hopes to have it at his disposal for next week, in which Madrid faces Inter in the Champions League (Tuesday 7) and faces the league derby against Atlético (Sunday 12). “Today Bale has returned to work with the team. He will not be in the squad, but next week he will be ready to play,” the coach revealed at a press conference.

After returning in the summer after a season on loan at Tottenham, Bale has only played three games with Real Madrid: the first three league games (in which he scored a goal against Levante). All as the holder. Then he has chained two injuries in individual concentrations with his selection, who have not played with the Madrid shirt since August 28, against Betis at Villamarín. He returned from the FIFA break in September with discomfort and, after being with Wales in November without having reappeared with Madrid, he returned again touched.

In the meantime, it has been in the eye of the hurricane again. And not because of the injuries, but because of some statements that his agent, Jonathan Barnett, made in Madrid, in which he said that the white fans had had a “disgusting” behavior with their client. A statement that prompted an angry letter from the Madrid Federation of Peñas Madridistas criticizing the player and censoring Barnett’s words, who reaffirmed them in AS.