Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane has defended holding back Marcos Asensio this season.

Asensio was again a substitute for the draw with Atletico Madrid on Saturday.

"We know the difficulty of our line of work," Zidane stated ahead of their Champions League tie with APOEL.

"We are Madrid and people will always ask us for more. We know the effort that we need to put in.

"Every player wants to play more. Everyone has their role and everyone is important. I decide how many minutes they get, that's my job.

"What I ask of my players is that they are focused and ready for when they do get to play."