Gareth Bale Injury Update: Real Madrid Winger Returns to Group Training

Real Madrid forward Gareth Bale has stepped up his recovery from an ankle injury suffered in November, as he announced his return to training on Sunday. 

Since moving to the Santiago Bernabeu in 2013 the former Tottenham Hotspur star has cemented his status as one of the very best players in the world.

Indeed, while Cristiano Ronaldo is the man that finds the back of the net most frequently for Los Blancos, if the team are looking for a player to grasp control of a match and swing the game their way, Bale is the man who steps up most often.

Whether deployed on the left, right or through the middle, Bale brings an astonishing thrust to Madrid’s attacks. When the game is stretched, his incredible running power makes Real a huge counter-attacking threat, while his long-range shooting and aerial prowess also allows Bale to affect the match against deep-sitting opponents.

Without Bale, Real have managed well. Zinedine Zidane’s side sit in first place in La Liga and have progressed to the round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League.

Admittedly, the European champions do have a lot of strength in depth in attack. Isco, James Rodriguez, Lucas Vazquez and Marco Asensio are all wonderful attacking-midfield options in their own right, while Zidane also has Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Alvaro Morata to hand.

But even though Los Blancos have a formidable cast of offensive players to call upon, they’re a much more intimidating opponent when Bale is in the XI. Zidane will be delighted with the news that his star's rehab has progressed to the point where he can return to training.