Real Madrid to Carefully Manage Gareth Bale as He Returns After Injury Nightmare

Gareth Bale made his long awaited return to first team action on Tuesday night after a catalogue of injuries which has seen the talented Welsh international spend the last two months on the sidelines at the Santiago Bernabeu. 

After making an immediate impact in Real Madrid's Copa del Rey tie against third tier club Fuenlabrada, Bale was instrumental in their comeback as he created two goals for Borja Mayoral in the 2-2 second leg tie, which saw the Los Blancos win 4-2 on aggregate and progress through to the next round. 

After the final whistle Marca reported, Bale did feel some discomfort as his body begins to 

re-adjust to the physical demands of first team action. 

Real Madrid will manage Bale's return to fitness with care and avoid the temptation of playing him in their La Liga fixture away to Athletic Bilbao this weekend to reduce the risk of a further setback. 

Denis Doyle/GettyImages

Head coach Zinedine Zidane will be hoping the winger will then be fit for the club's final group game in this season's Champions League against German side Borussia Dortmund next week. 

There is nothing riding on the outcome of the match as Real Madrid have already qualified for the knock-out stages of the competition along with Bale's former club Tottenham Hotspur. 

However, the match will provide the Welshman with more invaluable game time as the Spanish giants mange him on his journey back to his best after his frustrating injury lay-off.