Gareth Bale was denied a run-out for Real Madrid on what could have been potentially his last game at the Bernabeu.
Bale was named as a substitute for the La Liga match against Real Betis on Sunday, but boss Zinedine Zidane opted against using the Wales talisman despite Madrid's 2-0 home defeat.
With it being the last game of the season and Bale being heavily linked with a move away from the Spanish capital, being denied a final outing could well mean the 29-year-old had already made his final appearance for the club he joined in 2013.
Real fell to two goals midway through the second-half to finish a miserable season on a low, but Zidane opted to use Isco, Marco Asensio and Lucas Vazquez from the bench ahead of Bale.
Zidane's decision, as his fallen giants fell to another embarrassing home defeat, placed further question marks against Bale's future.
The Spanish media have been predicting an imminent Bale exit for some time, with daily sports newspaper AS going with the headline 'Bye, bye Bale' on Sunday morning.
It has been a difficult few months for Bale at the Bernabeu, with the Madrid media accusing him of isolating himself from Spanish culture, while he has been panned by supporters for a failure to step into Cristiano Ronaldo's shoes.
Just last month, Zidane said he had major doubts over Bale's commitment to the club amid reports the Wales superstar decided to travel back alone from their surprise defeat away to Rayo Vallecano.
Zidane told reporters after the game: "I do not know if he's focused on Madrid".
Bale has been linked with a host of clubs, including Manchester United and Tottenham, while there have even been suggestions of a move to China.
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However, his immediate focus will be on Wales' upcoming Euro 2020 qualifiers away to Croatia and Hungary early next month.
Wales boss Ryan Giggs will be banking upon Bale putting aside his Madrid misery and helping Wales secure at least four points from those two games in their bid to reach the finals next year.
