Luis Enrique Unsure over Isco Spain Call-Up Due to Lack of Real Madrid Minutes

Spain manager Luis Enrique has said he doesn't know if he will call Real Madrid midfielder Isco up to his next international squad. 

Isco has grown into a key man for Spain over the last couple of years, but since the appointment of Santiago Solari as Real Madrid manager he's found his club minutes severely limited. The 26-year-old has only started once in La Liga and UEFA Champions League matches since the arrival of the new boss.

Speaking to Movistar (h/t Football Espana), Enrique said he wasn't quite sure what action he would take given Isco's current lack of games, but made it clear match sharpness is important.

"Due to the current situation, I do not know," said the former Barcelona boss. "We treat each player as their own individual case, but it is two months until we choose a squad again, but it is natural I will move towards players who play more often."

Despite his obvious natural ability, Isco clearly doesn't fit the blueprint the current Madrid boss is looking install. Solari has forged a gameplan based on energy, organisation and a sprinkling of class in the final third.

Isco can provide the latter when he's on the field, but he does struggle in the former two facets. As such, he's only started twice in 2019; he was dragged off at half time in a 2-2 draw with Villarreal, and then after 68 minutes in the Copa del Rey loss against Leganes.

Naturally, his continued omission and high profile have prompted plenty of questions to the manager at his media engagements:

Managing Madrid's Lucas Navarrete thinks there are players in the team who should be behind Isco in the pecking order:

There's no doubt Isco can be part of a highly successful side, as he's been vital in Madrid's dominance of European football.

Madrid have won the last three UEFA Champions League titles and four of the last five editions of the competition. Isco started the last two of those finals and made major impressions off the bench in the previous two.

Prior to this season, there had been signs Isco was maturing as a player and he was beginning to relish being a key man for the national side too. At the FIFA World Cup, he was one of Spain's most effective players in a disappointing campaign and in 2018 he scored five times for the La Roja.

The comments from Enrique will only serve to add to the uncertainty surrounding Isco's future. Bleacher Report's Dean Jones wants to see the playmaker try his hand in the Premier League:

The issue for Isco is that Spain have numerous excellent attacking midfielders and Enrique has shown during his tenure he's not averse to making big decisions; he left Barcelona full-back Jordi Alba out of his first two squads.

Isco will be desperate to get more time on the field for his own personal pride and it'd be a shame for him if the positive recent work done with Spain was undone.