Real Madrid boss Santiago Solari said he made a "sporting decision" to leave Isco out of the matchday squad for Tuesday's trip to Roma in the UEFA Champions League.
Los Blancos beat the Giallorossi 2-0 in the Italian capital, but the Spaniard did not even make the bench despite being fit to play.
Per ESPN FC's Dermot Corrigan, Solari said: "These are calls that you make in a certain moment. We are here to do that, nothing else. It was a sporting decision, nothing else. There are no starters, or substitutes, in football.