Tottenham Hotspur manager Jose Mourinho says he cannot hand Gareth Bale minutes on the pitch and insists the Welshman must earn the right to play.
Bale re-joined Spurs on loan from Real Madrid in the summer but has yet to hit any sort of form since returning to North London.
He has another chance to impress tonight against Wycombe Wanderers.
Gareth Bale Must Play His Way Into Form Says Jose Mourinho
Bale Challenged to Earn Starting Position
Bale’s return to Spurs has been blighted by injuries which have prevented the Welshman from gaining a consistent run of games. The 31-year-old has featured in just 12 games in all competitions this season, scoring on three occasions.
Since the turn of the year, Bale’s only minutes have come as a substitute in Spurs’ 5-0 win over non-league Marine in the FA Cup third round.
Mourinho has warned the four-time Champions League winner he must play his way into the Spurs side, with minutes there to be earned.
“I cannot give players minutes, minutes on the pitch is not something I can give, so I’m not going in this direction,” he said (via Sky Sports).
“We all know the difficulties he had for a couple seasons, we all know that he arrived injured, we all know that even this season [he has been] a little bit up and down with small things.
“The most important thing for him is to be consistent, training without any problems and when a player is consistent in training, high intensity without any kind problems then the player is ready.
“Not to be given minutes, but is ready to earn minutes, and that for me is a difference.”
Bale Starts Against for Wycombe Wanderers
Spurs’ FA Cup fourth-round clash against Wycombe Wanderers provides Mourinho an opportunity to shuffle his pack ahead of a hectic fixture schedule.
The chances are there for fringe players, including Bale, to earn minutes on Monday evening to impress the manager. But Mourinho has reinforced the Welshman’s opportunities are down to his performances in training, which the Portuguese has said have been improving.
“This week he is working every minute like everybody else at a good intensity and let’s see the way that he reacts to the accumulation of that kind of work and let’s see how he reacts by the end of the week.
“The match [against Wycombe] is Monday and we still have training sessions to evaluate that. It is also about his confidence. If he feels that the week that he’s had has had a positive impact on him and, on his confidence, he will play.”
