Gareth Bale, James Rodriguez Left out of Real Madrid Squad for Salzburg Friendly

Gareth Bale and James Rodriguez have both been left out of Real Madrid's squad for their upcoming friendly against Red Bull Salzburg amid continued speculation regarding their futures. 

The team for the match on Wednesday in Austria was confirmed by the Los Blancos Twitter account:

Manager Zinedine Zidane has opted not to include either Bale or James while they continue to be linked with moves away from the club.

Bale appeared set to be on the move to Chinese Super League side Jiangsu Suning before it was reported that Madrid stopped the transfer going ahead. 

According to John Percy of the Daily Telegraph, the plug was pulled on the transfer as Los Blancos wanted a fee for the forward, who had previously agreed terms on a contract that would have seen him earn a weekly wage of £1 million.

Per football journalist David Ornstein, there appears to be a stalemate between Bale, Zidane and the club:

As Eleven Sports relayed, according to Marca, Zidane is keen to move both players on so Madrid can finance a transfer for Ajax midfielder Donny van de Beek:

James is also out of favour under Zidane. In his first spell in charge of Madrid, the manager sanctioned the two-year loan of the Colombian to Bayern Munich in the summer of 2017, although the German giants opted against making the transfer permanent.

The playmaker has returned to the Spanish capital this summer as a result and has been linked with a departure throughout the window. Napoli, Atletico Madrid and Fenerbahce are clubs said to be interested.

Given both stars will be on lucrative contracts at the Santiago Bernabeu, shifting them out before the end of the transfer window will be a challenge for Madrid. 

Bale's future has been a huge discussion point in recent weeks, as have his activities away from the game. Zidane was recently asked about the Welshman playing golf while Madrid were taking on his former club Tottenham Hotspur in a friendly:

As for James, he fell out of favour at Madrid towards the end of the 2016-17 season, and it appears unlikely he'll be able to force his way back into contention this term. 

James Ducker of the Daily Telegraph reported that Los Blancos offered him as a makeweight to Manchester United in a possible deal for Paul Pogba:

Both players would benefit from a move away from the Spanish capital before the end of the transfer window, and Zidane appears to be sending a message to each that they're not part of his plans.

Although both have seen their stock fall at Madrid, they have undeniable quality and will feel confident of contributing at the highest level still. A season in the wilderness at the Bernabeu with that in mind would be a shame for both.