“I want to play him next week against Dinamo Zagreb but I don’t think I can.”
Tottenham Hotspur manager Jose Mourinho has offered an explanation as to why he cannot start forward Gareth Bale in every game for the club.
Mourinho said that while he wished to play the Welshman for each of Spurs’ weekend and midweek games, it would be difficult for him to do that as there was a “process” for his team to follow.
The Portuguese coach added that the decision to play Bale was contingent on how the 31-year-old “feels” on a given day.
Gareth Bale.
Bale arrived at Tottenham on a season-long loan spell from Real Madrid last September. Despite the hype surrounding his move, the Wales international has mostly disappointed during his time in north London.
Bale has been involved in public disagreements with his manager Mourinho and has been criticised for his apparent lack of drive and ambition.
However, in recent weeks, the former Southampton man has experienced a resurgence in his form. The forward has been involved in five goals and three assists in his last four appearances for Tottenham.
Overall, he has managed eight goals and five assists in all competitions for Mourinho’s team this season.
On Sunday, Bale put in an impressive shift against Burnley in the Premier League, scoring two goals as Spurs romped to a 4-0 victory.
Mourinho on Bale.
Speaking after the game, Mourinho shared his thoughts on the two-time La Liga winner.
“Gareth is a very experienced guy, he knows his body better than anyone. It would be very nice for me now to say that I handled the situation amazingly well (but) I’m not that kind of guy,” the 58-year-old said in his post-game press conference.
“Sometimes people write things, and sometimes, some of you like to imagine stories, you need to write stories and sometimes you like to say things that are not really true. But there is not one single manager in the world that doesn’t play Gareth Bale if Gareth Bale is in very good condition. There is not one, but now he is better than ever.”
Mourinho then explained why it’s difficult for him to play Bale in every game.
“Day after day, day after day, and as I was saying, he is experienced and his knowledge of his body and his feelings are going to be fundamental,” the former Porto coach continued.
“A player that gives me this kind of performance of course I want to play him on Thursday and on Sunday, and I want to play him next week against Dinamo Zagreb but I don’t think I can. I don’t think I can.
“So this is a process that we have to manage day by day and see how he feels tomorrow and see how he feels after tomorrow. He’s a very important part of this decision-making because he has a lot of experience.”