3 players with their potential being wasted on the Real Madrid bench

Real Madrid has been steadily guilty of buying more than required over the years. The current midfield department of Real Madrid is flooded with young talent to such levels that there are 4 players fighting for some positions in the starting eleven.

The availability of quality midfielders like Modric, Kroos and Casemiro leaves very less room for youngsters to get some precious minutes on the pitch.

We highlight three players who have been unable to achieve their full potential because of lack of game time.

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#3 Marcos Llorente

Marcos Llorente

Homegrown talent Marcos Llorente joined Real Madrid's youth setup at the age of 13. He was loaned to Deportivo Alaves for a full season in 2016 where he became a prominent member of the squad, he made 33 appearances for the club.

He was regarded as the best player in the Deportivo squad when he returned to Real Madrid from loan to join Zidane .

He has a wide passing range, good dribbling ability, close control and the ability to press effectively. He was widely regarded as the next Busquets. But lack of playing time and his weak physique has stunted his footballing growth. He also hasn't been able to provide stiff competition for Casemiro for his position in the starting eleven.

He is the kind of player who can walk into the starting eleven of most La Liga clubs aswell as some mid-table EPL clubs. His choice to stay at Real Madrid might prove to be a career ruining decision.

He has seemingly worked hard on his physique, a good outing this season could boost his career as fans are aware of Casemiro's flawed passing and his habit of losing the ball in crunch situations. Lopetegui plays a system of high possession, and he would want his CDM to be more involved, imaginative and skillful.

#2 Dani Ceballos

Dani Ceballos

Ceballos was the star of the U23 Spanish squad, and was being chased by big clubs like FC Barcelona when he decided to sign for Real Madrid. Although he could have probably been a starter for the Catalan club, he choose to sign for Los Blancos because of his idol Zidane.

Since then however, we have seen very little of this talented player. He was not used even when Real Madrid rested their top stars. His lack of playing time raised doubts as to why he wasn't loaned to other clubs if he wasn't a part of Zidane's plans in a squad brimming with midfielders.

He's shown glimpses of his quality whenever given the chance, and he should depart for playing time so he develops even further. If the club aren't willing to sell - then he should preferably leave on a loan.

#1 Mateo Kovacic

Kovacic

Dribbling, passing, shooting, man-marking, you name it - Kovacic is good at it. He was given the responsibility of man marking Lionel Messi in an El Clasico encounter, and he was superb in his role. He stopped Messi from causing havoc for much of the match.

He is widely regarded as the replacement for ageing maestro Modric, he shares a lot of similarities with the Croatian captain. After three frustrating seasons at Real Madrid, he has been in the news for wanting an exit from the Madrid based club.

This is potentially devastating news for the Real Madrid supporters in a time when they have bid farewell to Zidane and Cristiano Ronaldo in quick succession. But this could be a way for the Croatian to bolster his career.