MADRID, May 30 -- The fitness of Gareth Bale was high on the agenda when Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane addressed the press during Real Madrid's media day ahead on Tuesday ahead of the Champions League final in Cardiff.
Saturday's game against Juventus is in Bale's native Wales, but after two months out through injury, his presence in the Madrid starting 11 is by no means guaranteed, especially given that his absence has coincided with some of Madrid's best football of the season as Isco has played magnificently as his replacement.
"Those are always difficult decisions; the most difficult I have to make but a coach always knows what he is going to do although I am not going to say anything," said Zidane.
"We are happy to see Gareth with us because he is important and I am happy to see that he is good and recovering. We are all ready," he said, adding that debate who should start was "normal".
"They are very important players and everyone has their opinion, but that won't affect me. We know what we are going to do and the main things thing is that everyone is fit," continued the Madrid boss.
If Madrid beat Juventus on Saturday it will give them a historic 12th Champions League title and also be the first time they have won a domestic and European double since 1958, but Zidane looked at other issues.
"The main things is to always give 100%. during the season, we have given everything with a lot of professionalism and we can be happy with what we have done until now," he said, before saying his side intended to "do everything we can to win that game" as well.
UN to get shelf submission
Actress in offensive film sues producer
PLA units hone their battle skills
US, Libya accounts differ on attack that killed ambassador
Coast guard actions 'worrisome'
Lost tourist spends month sleeping in station
Drone bases will monitor seacoasts
Beijing, Helsinki to link in green plan
Susan Boyle's rise to fame tempered by reality
Sharp rise in online sabotage
Cold weather moves in to northern, eastern regions
You say potato, I say tomato
Zimbabwe PM ignores bigamy ruling and weds as a polygamist
别误会这些英文(九)
Underage interns found working at Foxconn factory
Passengers to surf Web in the sky
Golden Week holiday spurs car-rental frenzy
NZ gets Hobbit fever over world premiere of film
Shanghai drill recreates 'Miracle on the Hudson'
MBA申请准备——职业目标
Candidates brace for final debate
China hit with back to work anxiety blues
Facebook bets on mobile future
Cardinal rule?
Danish magazine runs topless Kate photos
Can’t say the same?
Mo Yan pens Nobel success story
A bird? A plane? No, a Wingsuit champion
Season on ice: NHL imposes lockout
Miracle water causes a frenzy, but leaves locals thirsty