Isco Is Confident – Zidane

Zinedine Zidane has praised “street player” Isco after the little magician’s double strike in Sunday evening’s 2-0 La Liga win over Espanyol at the Santiago Bernabeu.

“It is just the confidence that Isco has now,” Zidane said. “He knows he is an important player with Real Madrid. He plays as you play in the street, and I like that. He does not get worried if things don’t come off.

“Hopefully he stays on this path, lately he is really enjoying himself on the pitch, with his teammates. I am happy that we see an Isco getting better all the time.”

“We started the game very well and had patience and made chances,” he said. “It could have been more than 1-0 at half-time. The second half was a bit more difficult. We dipped physically, after seven games [in 22 days] lately. That is normal. The important thing today was to get the three points after the three games we have had here at the Bernabeu.”

Gareth Bale did not feature in the game having picked up a calf muscle issue during Wednesday’s 3-1 Champions League group win at Borussia Dortmund. Zidane said the Wales winger would be allowed to join up with his national team although he would prefer him not to play in next week’s World Cup qualifiers against Georgia and the Republic of Ireland.

“Gareth will go with his national team,” the Frenchman said. “He has not played [today], but as he still has a bit of an issue [and] we would prefer him not to play [for Wales]. The other day he felt a strain in his hamstring. It is not a [serious] injury. I speak with the player, and also with the medical staff [before deciding whether to play him].”

Madrid right-back Dani Carvajal is out of Spain’s qualifiers next week due to a virus in the membrane encasing his heart, which Zidane suggested was not as serious an issue as it sounds.

“Dani will not go with the national team this week,” he said. “We will see how he recovers. It is not anything dangerous, but he will remain here with us.”