GEORGE Burley last night confessed: I might have to drop Gareth Bale because he's played too much for Wales!

The Saints boss fears the 17-year-old could suffer potential burnout following his meteroric rise from academy prospect to senior Welsh international inside six months.

Bale is almost certain to win his fourth senior cap against Cyprus tomorrow after scoring a superb free-kick in his country's 5-1 thrashing by Slovakia in Cardiff last weekend.

As a result, Burley is considering leaving Bale out of the Saints side at Leicester on Saturday ... despite the fact he was "outstanding" against QPR in Saints' last game.

The manager left Bale out at Ipswich a month ago after he had played for Wales against Brazil a few days earlier.

Recalling Bale's maiden international strike, Burley said: : "I see his free kicks all the time in training so it didn't surprise me to be honest.

"But we've got to keep an eye on that situation.

"He played 90 minutes at wing back on Saturday which is a foreign position and looks like he'll be involved on Wednesday.

"We have to keep an eye on him because he's just turned 17 and it's a lot (of games).

"For our last game against QPR he was outstanding and that was because we had taken him out for a while and he came back really strong.

"It's asking a lot at this stage of his career for him to play two full international games and then come back and play for us on the Saturday."

Full story in today's Daily Echo