Isco holding firm at Real Madrid despite falling down pecking order

Isco is refusing to leave Real Madrid this January despite falling out of favour under Santiago Solari as he believes he can outlast his manager.

The Spain international was an unused substitute against Real Betis on Sunday as Solari decided to turn to younger players as his side searched for a late winner.

Dani Ceballos, 22, — who eventually scored Real Madrid's winning goal in the 88th minute — Brahim Diaz, 19, and Cristo Gonzalez, 21, were all brought on ahead of Isco.

The were signs were not great right from the start on Sunday as Real Madrid prepared to face Betis. Isco appeared to be warming up with his hands in his tracksuit bottom pockets.

He was going through the motions with the other substitutes having been left out of the starting line-up once more despite Madrid's crippling injury list.

Insult was to be added to injury in the second half when Solari made three more substitutions and none of them were Isco.

The final change meant he now seemed to be below the last player to join the club, in the pecking order.

The statistics suggest there will be no change in Solari's policy any time soon.

Real Madrid have won 100 per cent of games without him in the side – six out of six when Isco has not played a single minute.

In the matches that Isco has played in since Solari took over it's just seven wins from 11.

What is just as striking as the Spain's international's slide from first choice to unused squad player is his refusal to contemplate moving in the January transfer window.

Those close to the Malaga-born midfielder say that tactic is based on the theory that Solari will not last long – at most until the end of the season, leaving Isco with a clean slate under a new coach.

There are two problems with that theory. There are no guarantees that the new coach will be any more open to building his team around Isco than Solari. The Argentine manager is hardly from the Diego Simeone/Jose Mourinho school of football.

He was a flair player himself – if he cannot see eye to eye with the Real Madrid No 21 then the new man might not disagree with him being overlooked.

The second problem is that Solari is almost certainly acting with the approval of the Real Madrid board. For all that, as director Emilio Butragueno insists, Solari's decisions are all his own the young coach is aware of the political line the club would rather he take.

He knows right now giving Brahim Diaz minutes fits with policy. Even if Solari goes, those at the top of the club are not going so things might not change.

Despite the lengthy showreel of superb moments of skill Isco does not have a significant market for his signature in the Premier League.

Pep Guardiola, Jurgen Klopp and Mauricio Pochettino demand an intensity from their flair players that is no Isco's forte.

Manchester United and Chelsea don't need that type of player currently and although Arsenal have looked at Denis Suarez – not dissimilar to Isco – Emery is the coach who allowed Isco to leave Valencia. Arsenal also know Suarez will be cheaper than the Madrid player.

Italy might open more doors but as yet there have been no enquiries despite him having now spent the best part of three months on the bench. It looks as if he will just have to try to hang on long enough for the next coach to arrive, with all the uncertainties that will bring.

His last game for Spain saw him wear the captain's armband. That makes his story all the more unprecedented. For his country he remains one of the first names on the teamsheet. For Solari he is the last man to turn to on the bench.