Nine minutes. That's how much time Riqui Puig has spent playing for Barcelona this season. Ronald Koeman did warn the 21-year-old in the summer about the lack of game time he'd receive if he stayed, yet he decided to do just that.
As a result of his lack of club action, the midfielder has been left out of the Spanish Under-21 squad for the November internationals.
"It's not true that he's not in my plans," Koeman said of Puig on September 19. "I've spoken to him. I speak to the youngsters - they have to play. They can't be here not playing. I hold him that he has it difficult and that there's lots of competition. Nothing more. I've told him that he has a future here, but it's up to him. I recommended that he go out on loan. At 20 years old, the youngsters have to play. They can't stop [playing] for a period of time."
Despite Koeman's advice and the number of clubs - most notably Ajax - that made offers for him, Puig opted to stay at Barcelona beyond the summer. However, the large number of midfielders at the club has seen him plummet down the pecking order.
Koeman's 4-2-3-1 formation also limits Puig's chances of playing, seeing as there are only two slots available in the centre of midfield. His only appearance came as a substitute for Sergi Roberto in the 81st minute of Barcelona's defeat to Getafe.
This can do no good to Puig, whose contract at the Camp Nou expires at the end of this campaign. Since making his first team debut against Huesca in April 2019, the youngster hasn't been able to hold down a regular spot in the side, whether it's been Ernesto Valverde, Quique Setien or Koeman in the dugout.
At the moment, Frenkie de Jong, Sergio Busquets, Miralem Pjanic and Pedri are among those ahead of him in the queue to be starting games.
Spain U21 boss Luis de la Fuente called Puig up to his squad for the first time this season, with the midfielder starting against Macedonia, the Faroe Islands and Kazakhstan. This month, though, he's been dropped.
"He's in our plans, but it's time to look at other players," De la Fuente said on the Barcelona starlet. "Those that are here are here because they deserve it. I've not spoken to him. He has to be calm. He knows what we think of him because he knows the admiration we have [of him]. What he has to do is work harder to get what he wants; to be a regular at his club and in the national team."