Former Real Madrid star Rafael Van der Vaart is baffled by Isco‘s continued absence from Santiago Solari’s first-choice XI at the club, calling the playmaker “the best player in the world”.

Isco has yet to start a La Liga fixture under Solari, and on several occasions the Spaniard has failed to make it onto the pitch at all.

So far there has been no explanation from the manager over his reluctance to use Isco, even as Madrid have struggled to string together a good run of results, falling 10 points behind league leaders Barcelona.

Isco actually did start one of Madrid’s more shocking setbacks, the 3-0 Champions League defeat to CSKA Moscow – Madrid’s worst-ever home defeat in the competition.

And though Van der Vaart acknowledged that Isco has had problems with managers before, recalling the times Zinedine Zidane left him out of the XI for long stretches, the recent selection issue bothers the Dutchman.

“It’s crazy for me, he is the best player in the world,” Van der Vaart told Marca.

“But, he always has problems with coaches and even [Zinedine] Zidane never trusted him 100 per cent.

“When I go to watch Madrid I’ll see if he starts and if not, I’m going home.”