Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane has stressed the importance of Isco to his side after coming under fire from his own supporters for not selecting the Spaniard.
The forward was an unused substitute in Real’s 7-1 thrashing of Deportivo and missed their latest La Liga game against Valencia due to injury.
Regardless, Zidane seems intent on sticking with the famed ‘BBC’ – Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo – for now as the all-star Champions League clash with Paris Saint-Germain looms.
However, Zidane says he will not bow to pressure when it comes to picking his side.
“Isco is an important player,” said Zidane. “But tomorrow it’s Isco, then Marco Asensio, the next day it will be why isn’t (Dani) Ceballos playing more … You always talk about that and I just get on with choosing my team.”
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The La Liga might as well be done and dusted with Barcelona a mammoth 19 points ahead of Real, who must first ensure they finish in the top four places to guarantee their entrance into next season’s Champions League.
📸⚽💪 #RMCity
— Real Madrid C.F.🇬🇧 (@realmadriden) February 2, 2018
Good news from our final session before tomorrow's clash with @LevanteUD - @Cristiano was back on the pitch training with the rest of the squad! pic.twitter.com/3KZzUgsRi4
There are just two games to go until their Valentine’s Day clash with PSG – Levante on Saturday and Real Sociedad next weekend – and Zidane knows they must enter the game on top form.
“It’s time to get to work,” added Zidane, who won five cups with Real last year.
“In my first year we had three weeks to work and we did very well, we improved a lot.
“Now we have to do the same; strength, resistance…”
Zidane also batted away suggestions that the club should have dipped into the transfer market to revive their fortunes.
“We are all together at a difficult moment,” he said. “I have always noticed that my players are concentrated and get stuck in, and I trust my staff, blindly.
“What I have here is already is my workforce.”
