Zinedine Zidane seems to have found a winning combination of players as they marched to a record eleventh Champions League crown last season.
James Rodriguez, though, is no part of the head coach's plans, with Zidane seemingly showing no confidence in the former Monaco man.
James played 17 minutes against Real Sociedad, although Real Madrid were without Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo. This is evidence enough to point that James doesn't have Zidane's complete trust.
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Competition for places
He doesn't seem to be moving up the pecking order either, with Casemiro, Toni Kroos and Mateo Kovacic starting ahead of him in the La Liga opener. He will fall further down the order once the suspended Luka Modric is back.
Former Colombian striker Faustino Asprilla said that James Rodriguez is the most high-profile player to be sitting on the bench.
He also said that it is undeserved and he warrants more respect and recognition according to his compatriot.
Doesn’t fit into Zidane’s system
Colombians are not impressed, with a section of them blaming James for accepting the situation; and another section attacking Zidane and the Spanish media for his unfair treatment.
Asprilla had this to say regarding James’ situation, "If today he has not been able to demonstrate his quality, it is because the coach does not have him in his plans."
The €80 million man is constantly being linked with a move to Chelsea and Juventus. He is a top player no doubt, but few can blame Zidane, as he brought back European glory to the Santiago Bernabeu, with players who suit his methods.
With the likes of Casemiro and Kovacic slowly beginning to stamp their mark on the Madrid playing eleven, James looks to be in the periphery of Zidane's plans yet again.
Rodriguez should get opportunity, says Asprilla
The 57-time international Asprilla offered a solution, "Let James be able to say 'put me on three or four games straight', if he is not good enough and he plays badly, take him off and send him to the Castilla or some other team, but give him the opportunity."
"When he arrived at Real Madrid with [Carlo] Ancelotti, they gave him that chance and it's no coincidence that with the Italian he played better than when Zidane arrived and he played badly."
Ancelotti of course, brought in James for a reason and put his faith in him and it paid dividends. Zidane, however, plays with a certain setup that does not require a central attacking midfielder such as James and does not wish to replace Ronaldo or Bale on the wings.
The recent rise to prominence of Casemiro and the dominant status of Kroos and Modric has left players like James and Isco struggling to get minutes under their belt.
"We are talking about the top goalscorer from the last World Cup. One has to have a bit of patience and respect" stated Asprilla.
The reality is that James does not fit into the plans of Zidane, but he could be a very useful player off the bench if Rodriguez agrees to that role.
