MADRID • There will be a clear-out in the summer as Zinedine Zidane gets his considerable rebuilding job under way at Real Madrid.
Gareth Bale has been one of the big names, along with Isco and Toni Kroos, heavily rumoured to be heading out of the exit door.
On Saturday, the Welsh forward again put on a lacklustre display to show that there will be few tears shed should he leave the Santiago Bernabeu in the close season.
Karim Benzema scored twice at home as Real beat Eibar 2-1 in LaLiga after Marc Cardona had given the visitors a surprise lead.
The opening hour had, however, been full of groans and whistles - mostly directed at Bale, who was in the starting line-up after being dropped for the 2-1 defeat by Valencia on Wednesday, with Nacho, Isco and Federico Valverde also coming into the side.
And post-game, Zidane appeared to be lukewarm over the Wales player's future, cryptically telling reporters "we will see".
Asked whether Bale was part of his plans going forward, the Frenchman said: "I'm not going to tell you what's going to happen. Gareth is a Real Madrid player, he has two years left on his contract. It is not the time to talk about this."
1
League goal Gareth Bale has scored in the last five games. Karim Benzema has shouldered the scoring load with six goalsin his last five games.
The 29-year-old's below-par performances and a lack of support from either coach or fans seem so inter-linked now that it is difficult to know what comes first.
He departed the field again to jeers with 14 minutes left, a conciliatory hand slap from his manager offering little consolation as he trudged off.
His abject form has been in stark contrast to Benzema, whose upward trajectory has seen him nab six goals in five LaLiga games, four of them since Zidane took over the hot seat last month in his second spell at the club.
Hailing the French striker's "great season", the 1998 World Cup winner said: "His goals have perhaps changed people's perception of him. But he has never changed as a player."
Real's win, coupled with Atletico Madrid's loss to Barcelona, means Zidane's men are only two points behind their cross-town rivals with seven games left to play.
However, Zidane admitted "playing for nothing is difficult" with no silverware on the line and merely pride at stake.
The 46-year-old told Spanish daily Marca: "This season, we will not win anything, we know that."
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Salah, Origi strike to give Liverpool Champions League triumph
LONDON: Son Heung-min once again proved there is more to Tottenham Hotspur than Harry Kane as the South Korean's late goal secured a 1-0 home win over Manchester City in an absorbing Champions
Son's late winner gives Tottenham edge over Man City
Manchester City went back to the top of the Premier League and inflicted yet another defeat on Manchester United with a 2-0 derby win at Old Trafford on Wednesday.
Premier League final table: Manchester City wins title over
Real Madrid boss Santiago Solari refused to say his side is out of the title race in La Liga despite slipping nine points behind Barcelona after a shock 2-1 defeat at home to Girona on Sunday.
Notes & Quotes: November 27, 2018 - Managing Madrid
More than just Ronaldo! Portugal could be ready to dominate after claiming first-ever Nations League. The Valencia man had swapped passes with Bernardo Silva to get into the position, with the
Portugal fail to show they are more than just Ronaldo - Egypt
Cesc Fabregas has joined Monaco from Chelsea in a deal which runs until June 2022. Cesc Fabregas completes Monaco move from Chelsea " He leaves with the very best wishes of everybody at
Fabregas Completes Move from Chelsea to Monaco, Reunites With
Football: AC Milan miss out on top-four finish in Serie A despite win over SPAL. AC Milan players applaud fans after the Italian Serie A soccer match against SPAL Ferrara in Ferrara, Italy, on May
AC Milan miss out on top-four finish despite SPAL win
Ballon d'Or winner Luka Modric has criticised Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi for choosing not to attend this month's ceremony where he was given the award, saying their decision was unfair to
Luka Modric wins Ballon d'Or 2018, breaks decade-long Ronaldo
Indian cricket's historic feat in Australia and Ikhsan Fandi's Norwegian trial. 13:37 mins. Synopsis: A Game of Two Halves is The Straits Times' weekly sports podcast out every Tuesday on all global podcasting platforms - Spotify, iTunes and Google Podcasts.
The Karyawan — Volume 13 Issue 4 by AMP_Singapore - Issuu
Palace rout Leicester to step up pressure on Puel Crystal Palace piled further pressure on Leicester City manager Claude Puel on Saturday with a comprehensive 4-1 Premier League win over his
Palace rout Leicester to step up pressure on Puel - The
Tsukasa Shiotani's sizzling winner kept Japan on top of their Asian Cup group on Thursday, while Oman scrambled into the knockouts in a pulsating finish to the tournament's first stage. In Abu Dhabi, Almoez Ali took his tally to seven goals in just three games as Qatar beat political rivals Saudi
2019 Asian Cup: Tsukasa Shiotani fires Japan past Uzbeks
Trust in players crucial: Nazri, Football News & Top Stories
