Manchester United midfielder Juan Mata is full of praise for frozen out Real Madrid playmaker Isco.

The pair played together at Valencia.

"I appreciate Isco, as I met him at Valencia and I saw all the talent he had," Mata said in an interview with Radio MARCA.

"The only thing you can do in situations like this is to continue working, to not lose confidence in yourself and to try to take advantage of opportunities when you have them.

"In the end, talent always stands out and he has plenty of it.

"I send a very strong hug from here and I'm sure that, in the end, things will improve."