Wales captain Gareth Bale trains ahead of World Cup play-off semi-final with Austria

Gareth Bale has labelled Wales' World Cup play-off semi-final against Austria as "one of the biggest games" of his career.

Bale has trained with Wales ahead of Thursday's showdown at Cardiff City Stadium and has been speaking about creating history by helping his country to qualify for a World Cup finals for the first time since 1958.

"It's going to be one of the biggest games I've played in for sure," Bale said. "Having not qualified for a World Cup before, it's something that I want to achieve, the country want to achieve and the fans want to achieve. I guess it's another big game we need to get ready for and take in our stride like we always do."

The forward's fitness was in doubt in the lead up to the tie, but Bale says he is "ready to play whatever is necessary".

"It's normal to have some niggles," he said. "I've been training for the last two and a half months. I'm in a lot better shape than I was in the last camp where I'd been out for about three months."

Bale was clear that the squad was focused on a positive outcome from the Austria tie, claiming that it would be "a regret" if his side did not give the game "100 per cent".

• When are the World Cup play-offs?
• Wales squad: Goalkeeper Danny Ward ruled out
• Get Sky Sports
• Download the Sky Sports App

"I wouldn't say I'd regret it, it's not in my hands, it would be something I'd love to achieve for my country and the fans of Wales," he continued. "We kind of deserve to be in the World Cup, it's been a long time. It won't be a regret [if we don't qualify] but it will be a regret if we don't give it 100 per cent."

Bale missed Real Madrid's crushing 4-0 defeat to Barcelona at the weekend due to back pain, raising doubts over whether the forward would be fit for the do-or-die clash at the Cardiff City Stadium.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Speaking after their loss to Barcelona, Real boss Carlo Ancelotti said of Bale: "He didn't feel well yesterday after training. He tried this morning but he wasn't up to playing.

"He's now going to join up with his national team and they'll decide whether he plays or not."

Bale has endured a miserable season in what is set to be the last of his nine-year stay in Madrid.

The 32-year-old has played just 77 minutes of club football since featuring against Real Betis on August 28.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Bale suffered a hamstring injury in September and then sustained a calf complaint after winning his 100th Wales cap against Belarus in November.

His only club appearances since came last month, a La Liga start against Villarreal and a brief Champions League cameo as a substitute away to Paris Saint-Germain.

Aaron Ramsey has also joined up with Page's squad after making his first Scottish Premiership start for Rangers since his January loan move from Juventus.

Live World Cup Qualifier

Ramsey's lack of match fitness had seen him restricted to a couple of starts in the Scottish Cup and three other appearances from the bench.

But he played 84 minutes against Dundee on Sunday and scored his first Rangers goal in a 2-1 victory.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Austria boss Franco Foda has had to make four changes to his squad, with defenders Christopher Trimmel and Philipp Lienhart and midfielders Florian Grillitsch and Dejan Ljubicic dropping out.

Bristol City's Andreas Weimann returns to the Austria squad for the first time for seven years, with Lens' former Southampton defender Kevin Danso, Stefan Ilsanker and Alessandro Schopf also called up.

Wales squad

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Goalkeeper: W Hennessey (Burnley), A Davies (Stoke), T King (Salford).

Defenders: C Gunter (Charlton), B Davies (Tottenham), C Roberts (Burnley), C Mepham (Bournemouth), J Rodon (Tottenham), B Cabango (Swansea), N Williams (Fulham, on loan from Liverpool), R Norrington-Davies (Sheff Utd), E Ampadu (Venezia, on loan from Chelsea).

Midfielders: J Allen (Stoke), J Morrell (Portsmouth), W Vaulks (Cardiff), D Levitt (Dundee Utd, on loan from Man Utd), A Ramsey (Rangers, on loan from Juventus), J Williams (Swindon), H Wilson (Fulham), S Thomas (Huddersfield), R Colwill (Cardiff).

Forwards: B Johnson (Nottingham Forest), D James (Leeds), G Bale (Real Madrid), M Harris (Cardiff), R Matondo (Cercle Brugge, on loan from Schalke 04)

Opta stats

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

• Wales are unbeaten in their last three matches against Austria (W2 D1), winning 1-0 in the most recent meeting in September 2017 in a World Cup qualifier.
• Austria are looking for their first away win against Wales since a March 2005 World Cup qualifier under Hans Krankl, winning 2-0 at the Millennium Stadium with goals from Ivica Vastić and Martin Stranzl.
• This is Wales' first World Cup play-off match since 1958, when they eliminated Israel over two legs, winning 2-0 in both legs and 4-0 on aggregate.
• Austria's two World Cup play-off campaigns have seen them eliminated - they lost 2-1 to Sweden in a single game in November 1973 and 6-0 on aggregate against Turkey in November 2001.
• Wales are unbeaten in their last 16 home matches in all competitions (W11 D5), their longest unbeaten run on home soil in their history. They have only conceded five goals in these 16 games and never more than once in this run (11 clean sheets).
• Austria have netted four goals in each of their last two games, a 4-2 win over Israel and 4-1 win over Moldova. The Austrians last scored 4+ goals in three games in a row in April/May 1927, although Wales haven't shipped four goals at home in a competitive international since a 5-1 defeat to Slovakia back in October 2006.
• Gareth Bale has been directly involved in more Wales goals than any other player in 2022 World Cup qualifying (3 goals, 3 assists). Across the last three World Cup qualifying campaigns, Bale has been involved in 42% of Wales' 36 goals (11 goals, 4 assists).
• Marko Arnautovic has been involved in 13 goals in his last 14 World Cup qualifiers (9 goals, 4 assists), although he didn't score or assist against Wales at the Cardiff City Stadium in the September 2017 meeting. Arnautovic is Austria's third-highest scorer in all competitions with 32 goals, behind Toni Polster (44) and Hans Krankl (34).

Win £20,000 with Super 6!

Correctly predict five scorelines to scoop £20,000 with Super 6 on Saturday. Play for free, entries by 3pm.