Gareth Bale to start for Real Madrid against Chelsea
Gareth Bale could supposedly be handed a shock start when Real Madrid face Chelsea in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie on Wednesday night.
The Wales international has made a paltry five appearances during an injury-hit season and did not play a single minute in La Liga in March, while he was also an unused substitute against Celta Vigo at the weekend.
Bale has also played just three minutes in the Champions League this season, with Vinicius Junior, Marco Asensio and Rodrygo all preferred on the flanks.
However, according to football.london – via the Daily Mail – Los Blancos could name Bale in the starting XI for the first leg at Stamford Bridge, with Carlo Ancelotti believing that the 32-year-old could play a key role between now and the end of the season.
Bale has now entered the final three months of his contract with Real Madrid, and his agent Jonathan Barnett has confirmed that he will be leaving the club in the summer.
Bale has racked up 106 goals and 67 assists in 256 matches for Los Blancos since his 2013 arrival, but he has only struck four times for the club since 2019.
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