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What's the story?
Real Madrid boss Santiago Solari has played down talks of a possible fall-out with star midfielder Isco Alarcon. The 42-year-old refused to completely open up about the situation but mentioned that he has had 'decisions' to make since taking charge of the Spanish powerhouse a few weeks ago.
In case you didn't know...
Ever since he took over the reins at Santiago Bernabeu, Solari has not opted to start Isco even once. The play maker hasn't started a game since his side's dismal 5-1 defeat at the hands of fierce rivals Barcelona.
Matters worsened when the gaffer omitted the 26-year-old from the match day squad ahead of the Champions League fixture against AS Roma - a settlement he termed as a 'sporting decision.'
The heart of the matter
While he continues to be left out, Los Blancos have certainly started to produce more results under their new boss. They have won five of their six matches under Solari and moved up to 6th place on the league table, six behind league leaders Sevilla and five adrift of Barcelona.
Speaking ahead of the game against Valencia, he lifted the lid on the player's situation. He said:
"Honestly, I think there's not really anything to talk about here. I spoke the other day. These are things that happen, they are decisions that have to be made. That's it."
He continued:
"I can't be speculating all the time here with you guys. There are 24 professionals, they are all working hard and we have to take decisions. There's nothing more to say. I do whatever I consider is best for every single player. Every single one is important. We are all Real Madrid."
Isco's lack of activity on the pitch under the new manager has put a host of clubs on red alert, including Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal, AC Milan and Napoli.
What's next?
The player himself hasn't addressed the issue so far and we will have to wait and see if he wishes to switch from the Spanish capital in the quest for minutes on the field. Meanwhile, Madrid host Valencia as they look to continue their resurgence after a horrendous start to the season.
