"Still warming the bench," "Won't be surprised if he's sold" - Real Madrid fans shocked as 2 key players are benched for Athletic Bilbao clash

Fans on Twitter were shocked as neither Marco Asensio nor Aurelien Tchouameni were named in Real Madrid's starting XI to face Athletic Bilbao in their final game of the season on Sunday, June 4.

Carlo Ancelotti's side can secure their spot as the runner-ups of La Liga with a win on the final matchday. Thibaut Courtois starts the game between the sticks. Dani Carvajal, Antonio Rudiger, Eder Militao, and Nacho are the four defenders.

Dani Ceballos, Eduardo Camavinga, and Toni Kroos form the midfield trio. Rodrygo and Vinicius Junior start alongside Karim Benzema in attack for the Frenchman's final game with Los Blancos. Benzema's departure from the club at the end of the season was announced recently.

Fans wanted Asensio to start in what is likely to be his final game with the club as well. The Spaniard is set to join Paris Saint-Germain as a free agent in the summer.

One fan wrote:

"Asensio still warming the bench."

Another fan wrote about Tchouameni:

"Tchouameini benched again smh... wont be shocked if he is sold as part of the havertz deal."

Asensio has made 50 appearances across competitions this season, scoring 12 goals and providing eight assists.Tchouameni, on the other hand, has 49 appearances across competitions for Real Madrid this season.

Here are some of the best reactions from Twitter after Asensio and Tchouameni weren't included in the starting XI for Real Madrid's final match of the season:

Real Madrid stars react to Karim Benzema's departure

Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema recently announced that he will be leaving the club at the end of the season. The Frenchman joined the club in 2009 and leaves as their second-highest goalscorer of all time.

In recent years, Benzema took the likes of Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo under his wings and helped them settle in the Spanish capital. Vinicius penned an emotional farewell message for the striker, writing:

"Benzvini, Vinzema...Whatever. The result has always been the same: goals, laughter, titles and, above all, learning. When the boy from São Gonçalo, too shy, arrived in Madrid in 2018, you were the first to receive me. I will never forget."

Rodrygo also shared a goodbye message for the 2022 Ballon d'Or winner, writing:

"KB9!!! Thank you very much for all the moments we were able to live together! Thank you for every lesson, every goal, assist, titles we won together and even for the privilege of being part of your Ballon d'Or."

Since Cristiano Ronaldo's departure from Los Blancos in 2018, Benzema became the focal point of the club's attack and stepped up as the main goalscorer. It will be interesting to see how the club undertakes the task of replacing its talismanic striker.