Bale: I’m firing again!

GARETH BALE has warned Croatia they will be facing a different beast to the one that was embroiled in a summer transfer saga the last time they took on Wales in June.

The Real Madrid superstar believes he is now back to his physical peak and playing with a menacing smile on his face as he edges closer to a summer move away from the Spanish capital.

Wales were almost without their talismanic forward for today’s crunch Euro 2020 qualifier at the Cardiff City Stadium after a late challenge in Slovakia on Tuesday night could well have earned him an injury or a second yellow card.

But he is determined to use his stroke of luck to help his side take a giant step towards another appearance at the European Championships by finally beating World Cup finalists Croatia.

‘Obviously I’m in a better place physically more than anything because leading into the game in the summer I hadn’t played for four or five weeks so I wasn’t physically fit and I wasn’t particularly happy,’ he said.

‘I feel in better form now and in better shape so hopefully that can make the difference on Sunday.

‘I took a knock on the knee which a bit of ice has sorted out. I was more worried about being sent off, I was just happy to get away with that one.’

Bale and Joe Allen are one booking away from a suspension that would rule them out of next month’s trip to Azerbaijan.

Wales have never beaten the Group E leaders, and while a breakthrough win would put them in the driving seat to qualify as runners-up, a draw would still be a positive result.

Aaron Ramsey is a doubt for Wales and his race to be fit will go down to the wire. The Juventus midfielder was left at home and trained on his own in an attempt to relieve a tight abductor muscle in his thigh, but manager Ryan Giggs looks set to wait until the final moment to make the big call on whether to gamble on him. ‘We still have time so we will just see how he is in the morning.’ Giggs said. ‘It’s a choice I have to make.’