Zinedine Zidane Says Gareth Bale '100 Percent Committed' to Real Madrid

Gareth Bale is 100 percent committed to Real Madrid despite ongoing rumours he could leave the club, according to manager Zinedine Zidane. 

Rodrigo Faez of ESPN FC recently reported Bale wants out of the Santiago Bernabeu "at the earliest possible opportunity," in no small part due to his "embittered relationship" with Zidane.

Speaking ahead of Real's La Liga meeting with Leganes on Wednesday, after Bale was seen in London, Zidane attempted to diffuse the situation, per Marca:

"We have a good relationship, I've not spoken to him about leaving and he never talks about it either. He had permission from the club to travel, he is away because he's injured. He can't play, and when he is available to play, he does, and he has played many games. He tries hard and trains well, but the mess here is created by a lot of talk, but the player is 100 percent committed."

Back in the summer, Zidane was explicit about his desire to see Bale, 30, move on from Los Blancos despite his remarkable record:

However, the Welshman's mooted move to Chinese Super League side Jiangsu Suning was subsequently blocked by the Real board.

After staying put in Madrid, Bale has started six of Real's nine La Liga games in 2019-20, netting two goals and providing two assists.

Fitness issues have remained a problem, though, and Bale has not turned out for Real since picking up an injury playing with Wales during the October international break, missing games against Mallorca and Galatasaray.

Saturday's El Clasico against Barcelona was postponed due to protests in the Catalan city:

But the former Tottenham Hotspur winger is set to be sidelined again when Real return to action on Wednesday.

Bale's consistent injuries, along with his huge salary, are key reasons he may struggle to find a new club if he does indeed want to exit in January.

Based on Zidane's latest comments, though, he is likely to remain at the Bernabeu at least until the end of 2019-20.