Zinedine Zidane has once again stood by his decision to overlook Gareth Bale for selection, but insists that the Welsh forward remains an important part of his future plans.
Bale has been a peripheral figure for Los Blancos this term, particularly in the Champions League having been restricted to just three starts.
The Wales international was an unused sub at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday as Madrid battled to a 2-1 win over Bayern Munich, yet amid talk of a move away in the summer, Zidane is adamant that Bale still has a role to play.
"I have to make choices and I've got some very good players in the squad," he told a news conference. "There are some players who are performing well at the moment. There are still more games to come and I'll be relying on him. It's not true that I don't play him."
Speaking earlier this week, Bale refused to rule out a summer switch to Champions League semi-final opponents Bayern.
