Gareth Bale Not Assured an Immediate Return by Real Madrid Coach Santiago Solari

Gareth Bale might have to wait for his chance in Real Madrid's starting XI after his latest return from injury, according to coach Santiago Solari.

The Welshman is back in training after recovering from a calf injury, but Solari refused to confirm the forward will walk back into his team for the La Liga clash at Espanyol on Sunday after missing six matches.

Chris Burton of Goal reported Solari was coy when questioned if Bale will start in Catalonia but said he will be pleased to have him in his squad.

Solari said:

"Football is always about the next game. We will see who plays tomorrow, then the following week. The players who are recovering, we want them at 100 per cent as soon as possible. Gareth is a very important player for us, a fantastic player, we are very happy to have him coming back."

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Bale was bought to eventually replace Cristiano Ronaldo, but injuries have prevented the former Tottenham Hotspur winger from producing consistency in his availability and output.

At 29, the player's time to display his very best is decreasing, and Madrid will be looking to the future as they attempt to sign the biggest and best talent next summer.

Bale has clocked up seven goals and four assists in La Liga and the UEFA Champions League this term, and Madrid have missed the exceptional statistics Ronaldo would regularly post before he left for Juventus.

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Former Real boss John Toshack has said his countryman must do his utmost to emulate Ronaldo during the remainder of his time at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.

Per Agustin Martin of AS, Toshack said:

"Cristiano plays as a winger, scores and sets up goals for the others. There's no doubt that Gareth is one of the best players of all time. If he wants to continue there, he should try and copy what Cristiano does. If you look at what he's achieved, it makes you wonder what he would have done if he hadn't been so unlucky with injuries."

Bale has battled to win over the Madrid crowd at times, and with Real in transition at present, supporters will begin targeting players who they feel are failing them.

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The attacker doesn't score enough goals, and Los Blancos fans will demand their team sign a forward who offers them world-class potency in the capital city.

As alluded to by Solari, Bale remains an important figure at Real. However, if his form refuses to explode in the next six months, it will give club president Florentino Perez the excuse to replace him with a younger superstar to build the team around.

Bale is not finished at the highest level, but he might run out of time to cement a place at Real for next season.