Gareth Bale faces race to be fit for Wales’ World Cup play-off against Austria

Reports in Spain said the 32-year-old forward had pulled out of Sunday’s El Clasico with back pain

Gareth Bale has joined up with the Wales squad for their World Cup play-off against Austria (Bradley Collyer/PA) (PA Wire)

Wales are hopeful Gareth Bale will be fit for their World Cup play-off with Austria on Thursday.

Bale was omitted from Real Madrid’s 23-man El Clasico matchday squad against Barcelona on Sunday, with reports in Spain saying the Wales captain was absent due to back pain.

But Bale has joined up with the Wales camp ahead of the play-off semi-final against Austria – and they expect the 100-times capped forward will make Thursday’s clash at the Cardiff City Stadium.

Speaking after their 4-0 Bernabeu humbling to Barcelona, Real boss Carlo Ancelotti said of Bale: “He didn’t feel well yesterday after training. He tried this morning but he wasn’t up to playing.

“He’s now going to join up with his national team and they’ll decide whether he plays or not.”

Bale has endured a miserable season in what is set to be the last of his nine-year stay in Madrid.

The 32-year-old has played just 77 minutes of club football since featuring against Real Betis on August 28.

Bale suffered a hamstring injury in September and then sustained a calf complaint after winning his 100th Wales cap against Belarus in November.

His only club appearances since came last month, a LaLiga start against Villarreal and a brief Champions League cameo as a substitute away to Paris St Germain.

Aaron Ramsey has also joined up with Robert Page’s squad after making his first Scottish Premiership start for Rangers since his January loan move from Juventus.

Ramsey’s lack of match fitness had seen him restricted to a couple of starts in the Scottish Cup and three other appearances from the bench.

Aaron Ramsey (centre) scored his first Rangers goal in Sunday’s 2-1 win at Dundee (Andrew Milligan/PA) (PA Wire)

But he played 84 minutes against Dundee on Sunday and scored his first Rangers goal in a 2-1 victory.

Austria boss Franco Foda has had to make four changes to his squad, with defenders Christopher Trimmel and Philipp Lienhart and midfielders Florian Grillitsch and Dejan Ljubicic dropping out.

Bristol City’s Andreas Weimann returns to the Austria squad for the first time for seven years, with Lens’ former Southampton defender Kevin Danso, Stefan Ilsanker and Alessandro Schopf also called up.