Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane hopes to have Gareth Bale available again inside a month after injury.
Bale has been sidelined since late November after undergoing surgery to repair the ankle tendon damage he suffered during a Champions League match against Sporting Lisbon.
Speaking on Friday, Zidane did not give an exact date as to when Bale might return, but is keeping his fingers crossed the 27-year-old will be available in time for the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie with Napoli on March 7.
The Frenchman told a press conference ahead of Madrid's trip to Osasuna: 'I hope that Bale is back with us before the return leg against Napoli. He still has to return to team training, which is the most important thing.
'He's fine. He's working very well and looks determined.'
Madrid, who are one point clear at the top of La Liga and have two games in hand on all their title rivals, are scheduled to play at least seven matches before their trip to Naples, including the first leg at home to Napoli next Wednesday and league trips to Valencia and Villarreal.
Wales' next scheduled match is the World Cup qualifier against the Republic of Ireland on March 24.
Gareth Bale will earn £150m over the next six years in salaries and bonuses after signing a contract extension with Real Madrid until 2022 that will make him the best-paid player in the world.
The European champions confirmed on Sunday the 27-year-old has committed his future to the club he joined in September 2013 for a then world-record transfer fee of £85m.
“Real Madrid and Gareth Bale have agreed to the extension of the player’s contract, which ties him to the club until June 30, 2022,”.
Negotiations over an extension have been continuing for several months between Real and Bale’s representative, Jonathan Barnett, with an agreement reached a few weeks ago. It is understood the contract is worth more than £600,000 a week before tax with the buyout clause set at €1bn (£900m). It is believed to be one of the biggest in the history of the sport. That is the equivalent to around £350,000 a week after tax, more than the estimated £288,000 Real pay Cristiano Ronaldo. Negotiations over a new deal for the Portuguese have not yet been finalised.
The contract ends any lingering doubt that Bale would remain in Spain despite speculation he could return to the Premier League. He has scored 50 goals in 90 league appearances and helped Real lift five trophies during his three years at the club, including winning the Champions League in 2014 and 2016.
Bale joins Luka Modric, Toni Kroos and Lucas Vázquez in committing his future in recent weeks. His previous deal – signed in 2013 – was to run until 2019.
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