Isco and Morata deserve more game time, says Zinedine Zidane

What’s the story?

The rumours of Isco and Alvaro Morata leaving Real Madrid continue to circulate with every line-up that Zidane puts out, but after their performance against Villarreal, the Real Madrid boss has agreed that they need more game time. Zidane’s men recovered after going two goals down at the Estadio de la Ceramica on Sunday to win the game in the final half an hour.

Isco came off the bench when the score was 2-0 and played a part in two of the three comeback goals, while Morata entered the field and scored the winner with seven minutes left. Zidane was over the moon with their performance and with just 18 starts between the two players this season, the Los Blancos boss has promised that things will change in the coming matches.

“There is no doubt that Isco and Morata deserve to get more minutes,” said the Real Madrid boss in an interview. “They did very well and changed the game for us. I'm certain that we will need to call on the whole squad. We knew that we were coming up against a good side, who have been doing fantastically well at home. We had to be patient and our substitutions ended up changing the game.”

In case you didn’t know...

Isco has made 11 league starts this season and is the player with the least minutes in the Champions league behind Danilo and Fabio Coentrao. Morata, on the other hand, has made seven league starts and has scored more goals than first-choice striker Karim Benzema, including the winner on Sunday.

The heart of the matter

Zidane’s men looked well on course to pick up their second loss in as many games after a brilliant first half performance by the home side. Zidane then introduced Isco into the mix in place of the more defensive minded Casemiro. Things changed after that and with the help of the Spaniard, Madrid pulled two goals back before Morata finished things off in the 83rd minute.

Isco has already hinted at a move away from the Bernabeu if his playing time doesn’t increase. Given that he’s just 24, he remains one of Spain’s most intriguing options as an attacking midfielder. The Spaniard, however, has failed to lock down a regular berth in the starting eleven since moving to Madrid in 2013, making most of his appearances in a white shirt from the bench or in a more deeper role.

Morata too has also failed to impress Zidane since his move back from Juventus, despite the fact that the Spaniard has rescued Real Madrid on numerous occasions. He came off the bench and scored the winning goal during the weekend as well. Statistically, he is the La Liga’s most formidable striker with seven goals in his last eight games for Los Blancos.

What’s next?

The victory ensured that Madrid bounced back from their 2-1 loss to Valencia and it also helped both Isco and Morata make a case to Zidane to give them more game time. Madrid play host to UD Las Palmas, who are on a four-game losing run, next, and the duo will hope that their manager lives up to his word and gives them a place in the starting lineup.

Sportskeeda’s Take

Zinedine Zidane has a decision to make regarding both Isco and Morata, as both players do have possible futures waiting for them right outside the Bernabeu, but it looks like that the two players, who are on the fringe of Zidane’s team-sheet, may finally be included in the Frenchman’s plans sooner rather than later.

Morata has been a far better option than Benzema up front and should definitely be given a consistent run of games to show his worth. Isco too has been effective when given an opportunity and should be played in his favourable attacking midfield position rather than in a deeper role.