Gareth Bale
Gareth Bale is yet to play since Real Madrid's 3-1 victory over Borussia Dortmund. Getty

KEY POINTS

  • Chris Coleman says Wales will discuss Bale's availability with Los Blancos.
  • Centre-back has been call-up by France despite missing the defeat to Spurs on Wednesday.

Wales national team manager Chris Coleman has promised he won't use Gareth Bale in the coming friendlies against France (10 November) and Panama (13 November) if he doesn't receive the blessing of Real Madrid.

Meanwhile, Raphael Varane has been surprisingly included in the France squad for their upcoming games against Wales themselves and Germany, despite missing Los Blancos's 3-1 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday night (1 November) due to injury.

Bale is yet to play a game since being forced off during the 3-1 Champions League victory over Borussia Dortmund on 26 September.

Zinedine Zidane suggested at the time that the Real Madrid ace only had a minor cramp. However a later scan revealed that he had also picked a new problem in his calf.

Bale was thus unable to help his national team during the last month's World Cup qualifiers against Georgia and the Republic of Ireland, as Coleman's charges failed to qualify for the 2018 finals in Russia.

The Real Madrid star has also missed Los Blanco's last seven games, including the recent defeats to Girona in La Liga and Tottenham in the Champions League.

Earlier this week Los Blancos fans reacted with surprise when Coleman decided to include Bale in his squad for the upcoming friendlies against France and Panama.

However, the Wales boss has tried to avoid a club-versus-country row by assuring fans Real Madrid will have the final say on whether the former Tottenham star is fit enough to play.

"We are in open dialogue with Real. We will be governed by what they say. He will be training with us because he is at a good level. If they say he can play 10 or 20 minutes then great, if they say no then absolutely not," Coleman said in a press conference.

"We will tell them [Real] this is where he is and they will get data off us everyday like they always do," Coleman added.

"We will know anyway when we see him but if Madrid say he is not playing, he is not playing. If they say he can play 20 or 30 that is exactly what will happen but we are just delighted that he is going to be involved in some capacity."

Meanwhile, on Thursday morning Zidane learned that Varane has also been called by Didier Deschamps for the upcoming France internationals, despite also being injured.

The 24-yeard-old defender was forced off at half-time during the La Liga defeat to Girona over the weekend and was unable to make the squad for the following Champions League clash with Tottenham.

Real Madrid are yet to provide any update on his recovery but the France call-up comes also as a surprise as it is still uncertain whether he will be back to face Las Palmas on Sunday.