Bale and James could have played against Brugge
The two players trained with no problems on Wednesday morning at Valdebebas, suggesting that the choice to leave them out was simply Zidane tactics.
Real Madrid's Wednesday morning training in Valdebebas confirmed what had already been let slip on the eve of the match against Brugge. James Rodríguez and Gareth Bale were in good physical condition and their exclusion from the matchday list for the Belgians was solely down to a tactical decision by Zidane.
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Missing Bale and James
The French coach wanted to put it out there yesterday to the media his claim that the two players "had a knock and we do not want to risk them." This was a decision that did not sit well with the Colombian nor the Welshman, both of whom would have wanted to be, at least, on the bench yesterday, a place from which they could have helped out a team after a depressing first half. A game that puts Madrid on the edge of the Champions League chasm.
The footage released today on the club's official website appeared to make it clear that both James and Bale were in perfect physical condition, completing the group session without the slightest problem.
Related | Courtois hits rock bottom as Areola lies in wait
The player who didn't feature was, as may be expected, Courtois, following his early departure from the Bernabéu, accompanied by his father. His bout of dizziness and vomiting had prevented him from playing the second half against Brugge. In the morning session, therefore, was Areola, accompanied by third choice Altube and young Belman, normally both of Castilla.
We've not yet had any official communication from the club about the big Belgian's state of health, which suggests that he may well be able to return to work tomorrow alongside his teammates.