Gareth Bale set to be fit for Wales’ crunch World Cup play-off

Wales face Austria on Thursday in a World Cup play-off semi-final in Cardiff

Gareth Bale was able to join Wales training ahead of the World Cup play-off tie against Austria (PA Archive)

Gareth Bale has handed Wales a World Cup play-off boost by training with the rest of the squad after missing Sunday’s El Clasico through injury.

Bale missed Real Madrid’s 4-0 defeat to Barcelona with manager Carlo Ancelotti saying after the game he “didn’t feel well”.

Reports in Spain said the Wales captain had back pain.

“He tried this morning but he wasn’t up to playing,” Ancelotti said on Sunday. “He’s now going to join up with his national team and they’ll decide whether he plays or not.”

The early indications are that Bale will be fit enough to start against Austria in Cardiff on Thursday.

Robert Page’s entire 26-man squad trained in the Vale of Glamorgan sunshine ahead of Wales’ play-off semi-final.

Wales are hoping to secure their first appearance at a World Cup since 1958.

Should they beat Austria they would progress to a play-off final against Scotland or Ukraine. That tie has been delayed because of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and is now set to take place in June.