Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane held face-to-face talks with James Rodriguez earlier this week.

Aware of James' low morale after being left on the bench for the draw at Barcelona, Zidane sought out James after a team dinner.

El Chiringuito says Zidane assured James that he "valued" him, with the tone of the meeting "calm" and even "paternal". He also assured the player he was happy with his attitude and that "more minutes" were around the corner.

James featured in the draw with Borussia Dortmund, winning great praise for the performance.