Given Real Madrid's struggles this season, it's easy to forget the incredible strength-in-depth Zinedine Zidane has at his fingertips.

The European champions sit third in La Liga, which has inevitably prompted questions over Zizou's team selections.

No-one has given the Frenchman a bigger headache than Isco, who despite having scored one more league goal than Karim Benzema, has failed to nail down a regular starting spot.

While he's made 18 starts in the league so far this term - the same number as he managed in the whole of the 2016/2017 campaign - it's understandable that he isn't satisfied.

The 25-year-old is expected to be one of the stars of the World Cup and proved his credentials again in midweek with a hat-trick in Spain's 6-1 win over Argentina.

Afterwards, he used his post-match interview to lament his situation at the Bernabeu:

"In Madrid, I don't have the confidence a player needs,'' he said.

"The matches with the national team give me life. Here I have the confidence of the coach.

"I want to show that I'm a good player. [Spain coach Julen] Lopetegui shows me confidence with the minutes he gives me.

"Maybe I'm the problem in Madrid. I don't know how to win Zidane's confidence."

Zidane responds 

Isco must have known that his manager would soon get wind of his comments and inevitably, they were put to the Los Blancos chief in his presser before the weekend's trip to Las Palmas.

"I'm not unfair on him. And he's happy," Zidane said.

"Maybe he hasn't been enjoying as central a role here [as he has with Spain], but I've always made it clear to him that he's important.

"People are free to interpret his words as they wish, but I'm not unhappy with him. I saw it [his hat-trick vs Argentina] and I was very happy about it.

"He's a Real Madrid player and he's going to stay here. He's a player I like."

Unfortunately, it's one thing paying lip-service to Isco, and another to actually give him regular games.

It's little wonder reporters so often feel the need to discuss the attacking midfielder's future as the consensus is that he's being undervalued at Real, regardless of what his manager says.

Should Isco leave Real Madrid? Have your say in the comments.