Roy Keane has suggested on Sky Sports that he really wants to see Gareth Bale play for 90 minutes for Tottenham Hotspur.
Bale has made a huge impact for Spurs in recent weeks, with the Welshman now having six goals to his name in the last six games.
Bale netted a brace in Tottenham’s 4-1 win over Crystal Palace most recently, but he continues to be very carefully managed.
Jose Mourinho said after the game that Tottenham simply cannot risk leaving Bale on to the point where he becomes fatigued in case injury strikes.
And even the winger suggested that he was not as fit as he once was in his youth.
But Keane has questioned why Bale opted to come off on his last outing, as he felt it was the perfect opportunity for the 31-year-old to get a full game under his belt, with his side cruising.
“You’re talking about Bale and Tottenham looking out for him – but at some stage you want Bale to play 90 minutes and tonight could have been the prime opportunity,” Keane said.
“So when Bale is giving eye contact with the bench – we all know the attacking players are selfish, we see the Liverpool players getting upset all the time – so when the manager is looking at him, [he should be going] ‘don’t be taking me off’.
“We’re talking about he’s fragile but if he gets 90 minutes under his belt that’ll give him confidence.
“Tonight he’s coming off after 60 minutes and saying ‘well why didn’t I play the full game and get another goal for myself and another assist?’.
“If you’re looking at Bale, he’s only 31 – they’re at home and their next game is Thursday.
“He’s 31 and at some stage you do have to play 90 minutes. But if they do it again Thursday he’ll be in that cycle of going ‘well I’ll get an hour’. What about 90 minutes? Tonight was a prime opportunity to stay on the pitch when the game was done.”
Mourinho’s argument, of course, will be to suggest that there was very little need to risk Bale for a full game on Sunday.
With Tottenham coasting to three points, there would have been very little point leaving Bale on, only for him to get injured.
Spurs have worked tirelessly to get Bale up to speed this season and with the winger showing such promise now, the last thing they need is for him to be sidelined.
Tottenham play on Thursday night against Dinamo Zagreb, but whether Bale will be saved for the North London derby on Sunday remains to be seen.
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