Spanish media outlets have once again taken a swipe at Gareth Bale after he linked up with Wales having been absent for Real Madrid.
The 32-year-old missed Los Blancos' 4-0 El Clasico defeat to Barcelona on Sunday night. Speaking about Bale after the game, boss Carlo Ancelotti said: “He didn’t feel well yesterday after training. He tried this morning but he wasn’t up to playing. He’s now going to join up with his national team and they’ll decide whether he plays or not."
However, he travelled to Cardiff ahead of Wales' crucial World Cup play-off semi-final contest with Austria on Thursday night. He has trained ahead of the fixture in the capital and is poised to be involved as the Red Dragons bid to reach a first World Cup since 1958.
Sections of the Spanish media have since taken aim at Wales' captain, with newspaper Marca plastering the image of a happy looking Bale and Joe Rodon in Welsh training gear alongside the headline "It doesn't hurt anymore". The accompanying text read: "Bale, who didn't even see the Clasico at the stadium, trains hard with Wales."
Online, Marca detailed the current situations of four Real Madrid stars, including Bale. The Welshman's section, headlined "Madrid is not his priority", read: "After his first injury of the season, it seemed like Bale decided to hide away in the gym and just make sure he was ready for each international break, hardly missing a game for Wales but barely featuring for his club."
They also boldly claim Bale presented the La Liga leaders with a hefty medical bill on a previous return to his club from international duty. The article continued: "Bale has been increasingly absent from life at Real Madrid and seemingly indifferent about it. His contract is up this summer and it looks like there will be no happy ending to this story."
Part of a separate piece on Bale's situation from the same site read: "The situation has not gone down well with Los Blancos fans, since it is not the first or the second time that Bale is not available for his club but suddenly emerges fit and healthy for his national team."
Should he feature against Austria, captain Bale is likely to overtake his total of minutes for Real Madrid this season with Wales this term, which is some feat considering the sheer volume of matches played at club level compared to on the international scene in a full campaign. It is a statistic several outlets have highlighted this week.
An article on AS.com headlined "Bale 'heals' for Wales" took several digs at Wales' superstar. "As is often the case, there is one Gareth Bale at Real Madrid and another when it comes to the Wales team," they wrote.
"In fact, if he plays a part, he will have acted more this season with Wales (accumulating 232 minutes in international matches) than with Madrid, where he has barely been seen in 270 minutes in what is being a contract year with more pain. What a glory."
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The same outlet also went in two-footed on Bale over his ability to be fit for the current international camp having missed Real Madrid's El Clasico humiliation on Sunday night.
"Since God squeezes but does not suffocate, in recent months the church looks at Madrid and sees that it is possible to increase that list with the miracle of Gareth Bale," it read. "Two days ago he was again absent in a call citing back problems. And this Tuesday, again, as happens every time his feet touch Welsh soil, he has been seen smiling and jumping like Lazarus.
"Either the air of the islands has the same properties as the mud from the Mar Menor with which my octogenarian neighbours smeared their bodies to alleviate the pain in their bones, or they will be laughing at Madrid and their fans until they complete their last contract day."
