Trading places

A few weeks ago, the end of the international break would have meant Gareth Bale returning to London, while Mesut Özil would have been reporting back to Madrid. Now it is the opposite way around.

With Bale finally gearing up to make his Real Madrid bow, the absence of Mesut Özil will come into sharper focus. The German's departure came as a big shock to the dressing room, which now has the job of welcoming Florentino Pérez's latest Galáctico into the fold.

Real got back into full swing earlier on Wednesday following the return of its internationals. It was the first time the squad had trained without Özil and many players are still coming to terms with his exit. This is the first time in a long time that a departure has caused such a stir in the 'Los Blancos' dressing room.

Özil is certain to be the hot topic over the coming days in Valdebebas, with Khedira sure to have plenty of beans to spill after spending time with the playmaker in the Germany camp.

There is no time to dwell on Özil's absence, however, with the priority now being to help Bale to settle in as soon as possible. The Welshman's former Spurs teammate Luka Modric will play a key role in this process, acting as his chaperone. The forward will have particularly relished his first meeting with Cristiano Ronaldo, as he has long modelled his game on the Portuguese star and can't wait to play alongside him.