Luka Modric tipped to rescue Real Madrid and Gareth Bale from current crisis

Luka Modric's return to action following four months on the sidelines is hoped to be the solution to Real Madrid's current crisis, alongside the mounting scrutiny of his friend Gareth Bale, at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Even though the Croatian midfielder had a difficult first year at the La Liga giants under Jose Mourinho, he has become a favourite for the supporters since last season.

Modric was crucial to securing the Champions League in the last campaign while leading his side from the middle of the park during the impressive start to the current season, with big victories over Barcelona in La Liga and Liverpool in the Champions League.

And fans in Spain believe Los Blancos's recent poor form is linked to the fact the Croatian has not been on the pitch.

During his absence, Real Madrid suffered defeats against Valencia and Atletico Madrid earlier in 2015, while they hit rock bottom in recent days starting with a draw against Villarreal, followed by humiliating losses to Athletic Bilbao in the league and Schalke in the Champions League.

Even though Los Blancos go through to the quarter-final of Europe's elite cup competition, 5-3 on aggregate, the 3-4 loss at home against the Germans has been viewed as one of the worst defeats in Real Madrid history.

And, as has become customary, Bale, who has not scored a goal in the last nine games, has once again been made the scapegoat. Despite the Santiago Bernabeu fans also whistling in frustration at Iker Casillas and even Cristiano Ronaldo, pundits and supporters agreed to blame Bale for the team's lack of balance.

Before the match, fans had urged manager Carlo Ancelotti to bench the Wales star and switch the inconsistent 4-3-3 formation to 4-4-2, as none of the attacking trio – Bale , Ronaldo and Karim Benzema – helped the rest of the team.

The defeat to Schalke increased doubts about Bale but, with Ancelotti saying he is unmovable from his line-up, Spanish pundits and Real Madrid fans alike believe Modric is the only one who can overcome the situation ahead of the coming game against Barcelona on 22 March.

Marca believes Modric, who came off the bench in the second half of the Schalke defeat, was the only light in the nightmare on 10 March, bringing some order to the chaos create by the 4-3-3 formation due to his hard work and talent.

Meanwhile, AS welcomed the midfielder's return while pointing out Modric was the only Real Madrid player who ran as much as the Germans – as while Roberto Di Matteo's Schalke side ran 121.8km, the hosts only covered 112.4km.

But Modric ruled out declaring himself as the saviour of Real Madrid, claiming everyone needs to help – including Bale.

He said: "It's not possible for one player to fix everything on his own. We need to play as a team. We have always played as a team. We have the qualities. I think we'll see the best of Real Madrid in coming matches."

"It is very important to have qualified. We didn't play well, but that's when you need to know how to push through. Hopefully we'll be stronger after this."