The Málaga manager, Javi Gracia, has said that Luis Alberto still needs to “demonstrate what a good player he is” as the midfielder has struggled to secure a place in the Spanish side’s starting XI while on loan from Liverpool.

Luis Alberto, who joined Liverpool from Sevilla for £6.8m in the summer of 2013, made 12 appearances for the Premier League club last season before Brendan Rodgers sent him on loan to Málaga last summer.

So far the midfielder has started just six times in the league, while making eight appearances as a substitute and Gracia told the Guardian: “Luis Alberto began the season playing regularly but there have been other options that we have used more as the season progressed. He had a period out of the team with injuries but he is fit now. He is different: he has a technical level that sets him apart from other players.

“He is talented, finishes well and scores goals. It is true that he is playing less than he might like because others are playing well, but he has a promising future. It is hard for a player to go on loan because he wants to play and then find that he is not playing as often as he needs but I can’t differentiate between a loan player and one who has a contract with us: I can only be fair and pick the players I think can help us most.”

Málaga are seventh in La Liga going into this weekend’s match against Córdoba, having beaten Barcelona at the Camp Nou recently. Luis Alberto, however, did not feature against the club where he once spent one season playing for the B team and Gracia said: “Despite having been at big clubs already, he still has a career to build. He has it all to do: he has to demonstrate what a good player he is. He’s been at Liverpool and Barcelona but how many first division games has he played? Very few.

“He needs to play and so far he has not had as many opportunities as I am sure he would like. He has to take the chances he gets to prove that he can play at the highest level. I have no doubt that he is a very good player but he still needs to consolidate himself.”