Wales captain Gareth Bale said he was on a “good path” to full fitness ahead of the World Cup in Qatar, despite not playing a full game since joining Los Angeles FC in June.
Bale signed for Major League Soccer Club after leaving Real Madrid, where he has struggled with injuries in his final few seasons. He has made just two starts in his 11 appearances for LAFC, scoring two goals.
Wales, who will contest their first World Cup in 64 years, begin their campaign against the United States on November 21 and the 33-year-old forward expects his fitness to be much improved by then.
“I think I’ll be a lot fitter,” Bale told reporters on Wednesday. “I haven’t played 90 minutes yet, we build on that and load up the training.
“We’re well on the way to where I want to be. I want to try to play 90 minutes as much as possible, but I understand that to reach that level I have to build up. I haven’t done it in the a lot in the last few years.”
Wales, who also face England and Iran in World Cup Group B, meet Belgium in the Nations League later on Thursday in Brussels.