Bale was an unused substitute as Madrid recorded a 2-1 win over Bayern in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday.
The Wales international has made just five appearances – three of those starts – in Europe’s premier club competition this season.
But Zidane says Bale still has a role to play late in the season for Madrid, although there has been plenty of speculation over the 28-year-old’s future.
“I have to make choices and I’ve got some very good players in the squad,” he told a news conference.
“There are some players who are performing well at the moment.
“There are still more games to come and I’ll be relying on him. It’s not true that I don’t play him.”
Former Tottenham star Bale has been heavily linked with a return to the Premier League, either at Spurs or their domestic rivals Manchester United.
He has also been mooted as a possible transfer target for Bayern, with the door being left open to a potential switch to Germany.
