Bale season starter - more agony than ecstasy

After a hectic start to his season, and with everyone resigned to the fact that Gareth Bale would not be featuring in the game against Serbia either, coach Chris Coleman sent him on in the 58th minute to replace Leicester's midfielder, Andy King.
Bale's half hour on the pitch for Wales represented not just a tardy, but also a sad, season kick-off for Florentino Pérez's latest star signing.
With his team already a hefty 0-3 down, the appearance of the Cardiff Magician was not enough to make any difference to the outcome, the Welsh side having already thrown in the towel in the face of a superior Serbia. Neither team, however, were playing for a chance of qualifying for the next World Cup.
The Welshman had not played in a competitive match for 116 days after having to leave the field on 11th May during an English league game for Spurs against Sunderland.
Bale is not expected to play for Real Madrid in the next La Liga tie, but his appearance in the Coleman line-up reassuringly suggests that his muscle injury problems are now behind him.