Gareth Bale wakes up to outraged headlines as Spanish media fume over 'miracle' recovery for Wales

Spanish media outlets have once again taken a swipe at Gareth Bale after he linked up with Wales having been absent for Real Madrid.

The 32-year-old missed Los Blancos' 4-0 El Clasico defeat to Barcelona on Sunday night. Speaking about Bale after the game, boss Carlo Ancelotti said: “He didn’t feel well yesterday after training. He tried this morning but he wasn’t up to playing. He’s now going to join up with his national team and they’ll decide whether he plays or not."

However, he travelled to Cardiff ahead of Wales' crucial World Cup play-off semi-final contest with Austria on Thursday night. He has trained ahead of the fixture in the capital and is poised to be involved as the Red Dragons bid to reach a first World Cup since 1958.

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Sections of the Spanish media have since taken aim at Wales' captain, with newspaper Marca plastering the image of a happy looking Bale and Joe Rodon in Welsh training gear alongside the headline "It doesn't hurt anymore". The accompanying text read: "Bale, who didn't even see the Clasico at the stadium, trains hard with Wales."

Online, Marca detailed the current situations of four Real Madrid stars, including Bale. The Welshman's section, headlined "Madrid is not his priority", read: "After his first injury of the season, it seemed like Bale decided to hide away in the gym and just make sure he was ready for each international break, hardly missing a game for Wales but barely featuring for his club."

They also boldly claim Bale presented the La Liga leaders with a hefty medical bill on a previous return to his club from international duty. The article continued: "Bale has