Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane has refused to confirm whether Gareth Bale will earn a starting spot for the Champions League final against Juventus on Saturday.
The Wales international has already declared himself fit for the clash at the Principality Stadium, and he will be hoping to put up a strong display in front of his home fans in Cardiff.Bale has not featured for the European champions since his calf problem in the El Clasico in April, and the former Spurs man admits that he may have rushed his return following a surgery in November.
During the Welshman’s absence, Isco managed to shine in the Los Blancos shirt, and his influence was key to the club’s first La Liga triumph since the 2011-12 season.When asked about Bale’s potential inclusion in the starting XI, Zidane remained coy hinting that he may make a late decision on who starts on the right side of the attack.
“I’m not going to tell you who’s going to play tomorrow,” Zidane told PA Sport. “Isco and Bale are two players who can also play together; in the long run, anything can happen
“When I look at my squad, what’s good is that they’re all ready and willing to play. It’s not only mentally, of course, they have to be ready physically too.
“That’s what I’m interested in right now, everyone in good shape and at a high level.”
No team has managed to clinch more European titles than Real Madrid (11) and they will be hoping to extend this record when they take on the Old Lady on Saturday evening.Juventus are likely to adopt a defensive minded approach to keep the Los Blancos attack at bay, but Zidane predicts that the game could be an open and entertaining affair similar to 1998, which Real won by a 1-0 scoreline.
