Wednesday, 29th January, 2014
Carlo Ancelotti is offering no guarantees on whether Gareth Bale will resume playing duties onSunday against Athletic Bilbao, after missing the Copa del Rey quarter-final with a leg injury.
Bale was not risked in yesterday's 1-0 victory over Espanyol in the Copa del Rey.
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However, with Jese Rodriguez proving his worth with the winner against Espanyol, Bale may well find himself putting his feet up in preparation for La Liga's run-in.
"If Bale is okay he will play", Ancelotti was quoted on the club website as saying. "If not, Jese is an option. He is very dangerous at the moment.
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"It is very important and will be a difficult match. They are playing well at the moment and everyone knows that playing at San Mames is not easy.
"Barcelona lost there. It is a good time for us to play the match. We are confident, and have the desire and enthusiasm to do our best to win."
Bale's time at Real Madrid has been relatively productive with eight goals in 14 games, but the season has been marred with injuries, most notably at the start of his Spanish spell.
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