Gareth Bale has undergone a body transformation that has surprised Real Madrid fans as he returned to training.
The Welshman has endured an injury hit campaign, with knee and back injuries restricting him to just three appearances in all competitions this season.
He looks increasingly likely to depart the Santiago Bernabeu at the end of the season, when his contract with Los Blancos expires.
Though he has won two La Liga titles and four Champions League trophies, the 32-year-old has mostly suffered a frustrating spell at the Spanish giants.
He spent last season on loan at Tottenham, but the Premier League side were unwilling to bring him back on a permanent basis when that temporary deal came to an end.
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His injury record has been particularly restrictive this season and has led to him requesting that Madrid not publish medical updates on his condition.
Bale has faced severe criticism from Madrid fans for his injury problems over the course of his near-nine-year spell in the Spanish capital.
But that has changed somewhat after the Welsh international posted a new picture of himself in training.
It is the first time he has posted a photo of himself in Madrid kit since the end of August and also shows that he has undergone a major body transformation in the weeks since.
It appears that he has lost a substantial amount of muscle mass and is notably thinner than when he made his last appearance in a Madrid shirt.
One account compared Bale’s physique in the timespan and was left surprised by the manner of the transformation.
“At what point did Bale lose so much muscle mass? Only six months' difference,” the account wrote.
Other Madrid fans have welcomed Bale’s return and hope he can help fire them to what would be his third La Liga title.
“Welcome back idola,” one wrote.
“I hope you return to your prime,” added another.
“Vamos Gareth! One more dance with Madrid!” a third replied.
“Great to see you back, hope you do a great half season until June,” a fourth supporter said.
Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti has consistently insisted that Bale is committed to pushing Madrid towards a title despite his expiring contract.
“Bale is committed. He has six months left on his contract and he wants to respect it," Ancelotti said earlier this season.
“He's been working individually. He isn't ready for this game [at Alcoyano]. I don't know if he'll be back for the Valencia game but we'll take him to Saudi Arabia.
“We have to give [Bale] the chance to feel good. If a player doesn't feel right, if he doesn't feel comfortable training collectively, if he's worried about having a problem, we have to evaluate it and give him individual work.”
With Bale back in training, he could potentially return to contention for Madrid’s next game, when they travel to Athletic Bilbao in the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey.
