PETE JENSON: Only 99 minutes of football this season, third-choice and not rated by Zinedine Zidane... Mariano Diaz is set to start for Real Madrid at Inter Milan as their striker crisis goes on but his future is almost certainly away from the Bernabeu

Daily Mail | November 25, 2020

Zinedine Zidane has a reputation for being the coach who backs his players but the support is not for everyone.

Dani Ceballos, Marcos Llorente and Sergio Reguilon are at Arsenal, Atletico Madrid and Tottenham respectively because the Real Madrid coach deemed them surplus to requirements.

When all three get called up for the Spain squad questions are asked of Zidane's judgement and those same questions were asked at the weekend when Mariano Diaz was Real Madrid's best player. Why has Zidane ignored him for so long?

Mariano Diaz is set to be handed a rare start for Real Madrid against Inter Milan on Wednesday

Diaz scored Real's goal in their 1-1 draw at Villarreal on Saturday with Karim Benzema injured

MARIANO DIAZ'S RECORD AT REAL

Appearances: 42

Minutes played: 1,086

Goals: 11

Assists: 2

This season

Appearances: 2

Minutes played: 99

Goals: 1

Assists: 0

Why did it take an injury to Karim Benzema and a coronavirus positive for Luka Jovic to leave the manager with no choice but to play a player who had various English clubs trailing him in the last transfer window but who has never lost faith in his ability to make the grade at the Spanish champions?