James has been upset for a while.

The Colombian, who was once again the first to be substituted last Sunday at the Ipurúa, and who has not established himself under Benítez, thinks that the manager does not have confidence in him and has not supported him enough when he needed it most, having recently recovered from an injury.

Rafa Benítez meanwhile, sees it entirely differently. He is convinced that the player could give much more and thinks that he does not deserve more playing time than what he has been given, possibly as a result of injuries, which have been a significant setback for the player.

What is certain is that ever since the start of the season, the manager and the Colombian have not connected with each other. Between injuries, lack of form, lack of confidence and national team commitments, the fact is that James is not the star that Real Madrid need him to be, and neither has he had the full support of the manager thus far. Last Sunday against Eibar he returned to the starting eleven, but once again trudged back to the dressing room before the final whistle with a sullen look on his face.

The club, however, are much clearer on the issue and Benítez will have to manage the case of the Colombian with due care. The player has been on the bench much more than he imagined after a first season under Ancelotti which, at a personal level, was more than noteworthy.