Gareth Bale is not certain to start for Real Madrid despite being the
world's most expensive player, says assistant coach Paul Clement.
Wales international Bale, 24, who
joined the Spanish side for £85.3m
from Tottenham, could make his debut at Villarreal on 14 September.
But Clement told BBC Sport: "There's a lot of competition for places - no-one will be guaranteed anything.
"Coach Carlo Ancelotti has a clear idea how to use him but things can change."
Bale began his career as a left-back at Southampton before going
to Spurs where he was first employed in the same position before moving
further up the pitch.
Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas then used him in an
even more advanced role, giving him freedom to roam along the forward
line. He was the club's top scorer last season, with 21 goals in the
league.
Former Manchester United winger Cristiano Ronaldo, like
Bale, has moved further up the field during his career. He found the
net 34 times for Real in La Liga last season and scored his 200th goal
for the club in May in just his fourth season with the Bernabeu outfit.
And there has been debate whether Bale or Ronaldo will play the furthest forward.
"Carlo is flexible enough to use Gareth and other players in different capacities," Englishman Clement said.
"At Southampton, Bale played at left-back which he also did at Spurs where he became a more left-sided player.
"He recently became more central. He's got that versatility.
"It'll be interesting to see how players fit in
together. We'll be trying to find their best position and what's best
for the team as quickly as possible.
"Gareth has the goalscoring talent and
ability to set up goals for others. We have a lot of exciting players
here. [Striker Karim] Benzema is a great talent, while Isco plays in
midfield but has chipped in with three goals already."
After finalising the deal on Sunday and having been
presented to fans on Monday, Bale has rejoined the Wales squad for their
World Cup qualifiers - in Macedonia on 6 September and at home to
Serbia four days later.
"Depending on how much or little he plays will depend
whether he trains a week on Wednesday or Thursday leading into the first
game at Villarreal away [Saturday, 14 September]," added Clement.
Clement himself is still settling in at Real. He arrived in late June
having been brought to the club by Ancelotti,
with whom he worked at Chelsea and Paris St-Germain, after the Italian was
appointed as Jose Mourinho's replacement.
The former PE teacher from the south London borough of
Sutton, who progressed up the ranks as coach at Chelsea, said he had
been taking regular Spanish lessons to help adjust to his new
surroundings and to help with coaching the players.
Bale's best Premier League goals
Clement suggested it would benefit Bale to "knuckle down" and learn the language.
"It's more challenging for a coach and manager than a
player," he continued. "Communication is everything - you have to
instruct and organise.
"It's up to Gareth to learn. A lot of players start
having lessons at the club when they arrive. [Croatian] Luka Modric, who
played with Gareth at Tottenham, had some lessons initially - he speaks
in Spanish and English with the players.
"I'm sure Gareth will do the same. He spoke some lines
during the news conference. It's a great life quality if he knuckles
down and learns. Our communication with the team as a whole will be in
Spanish."
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