Bale unsure of Champions League role: 'I am not 100 percent'
An honest Gareth Bale admitted Tuesday he still hasn't fully recovered from a string of injuries and expressed concerns he would struggle to last 90 minutes in the Champions League final.
Undergoing surgery on his ankle in November, Bale then encountered problems with his calf muscles.
He returned in time to face Barcelona in El Clascio on April 23, though he only lasted 39 minutes before requiring a substitution. He has not played since.
Isco replaced Bale in Zinedine Zidane's lineup to great effect and made a case to start ahead of the Welshman in Saturday's showpiece.
Bale's revelation that he's "not 100 percent" could make Zidane's decision a lot easier, but the 27-year-old said he'll fulfill any role to experience the final in his hometown of Cardiff.
"If I'm called upon to start, I will start obviously. But to last 90 minutes: I haven't played a lot of football this year since my operation, so that would be difficult," Bale told media, including the Guardian's Sid Lowe. "Isco has been playing fantastically well for us at the end of the season, so whatever the manager decides, I will (accept it).
"Whether I start or not, we'll both be cheering each other on."
His comments seem to contradict Zidane's remarks earlier in the day, as the Frenchman suggested Bale is "absolutely desperate to play because it is his home."
Bale, who returned to full training last Friday, said he has participated in "double sessions" over the past few weeks to get back into shape.
He conceded that he rushed back to action a little too soon, and that he still suffered from the effects of the ankle operation.
"I have been playing with a lot of pain," Bale added. "Even when I came back, I was taking tablets to get through games and training. There have been moments when I have had to consider other things with my ankle.
"It has just been difficult to come back from the ankle operation. Obviously, any surgery is difficult, but in the middle of the season, (it's) always that bit more difficult."
Bale has missed 29 matches this season, according to transfermarkt.