Spain coach Luis Enrique has said Real Madrid’s Isco needs more playing time with his club if he is to maintain his place in the national team.
Isco, a regular for his country since Luis Enrique took over in July, has started only three times in 21 club games since Santiago Solari replaced Julen Lopetegui at the Bernabeu in October.
Luis Enrique, who watched Madrid’s 4-2 win at Espanyol on Sunday, in which Isco was left on the bench, told Movistar Plus: “As it is right now, I don’t know if I would call him up.
“We will treat each case separately — there are still two months to go before we give the list of players [for when Spain face Norway in a friendly in Valencia on March 23]. I would prefer that he plays more minutes, just like those that don’t play much, but that’s football.”
Solari recently said Isco was “a great player” who has “opportunities to play.”
Meanwhile, Chelsea forward Alvaro Morata, left out of Spain’s World Cup squad due to a lack of playing time with his club, is set to complete a loan move to Atletico Madrid on Monday.
“If it’s completed, we would have to see how many minutes he gets,” Luis Enrique said. “Atletico has good strikers.”
Morata underwent a medical in Madrid on Sunday and is set to join on an 18-month loan. Atletico will reportedly have the option to sign him permanently for £48.5 million at the end of the season.
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