Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti has said that a decision on Marco Asensio's future will be made after the 2022 World Cup.
The Spain international's current deal at Bernabeu is due to expire at the end of June, and a number of clubs, including Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool, AC Milan and Barcelona, are believed to be keeping a close eye on his situation.
Asensio has made 10 appearances for Real Madrid this season but has lost his role as a starter, only playing 46 minutes of La Liga football across six games, while he has featured for just 68 minutes in the Champions League.
The 26-year-old scored off the bench against Elche in La Liga on Wednesday, though, helping his side record a 3-0 victory against the league's basement side.
After the match, Ancelotti addressed the Spaniard's future and suggested that it was not certain that he would be leaving Bernabeu on a free transfer next June.
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"He has always showed that he can play and he'll have more minutes in the future. We'll speak about his contract after the World Cup," the Italian told reporters.
Ancelotti had been expected to heavily rotate against Elche, with the team facing two difficult games against Sevilla and RB Leipzig in quick succession.
However, the Real Madrid head coach has said that the champions were "worried" about the clash with the strugglers, which ended in a 3-0 victory for the capital giants.
"We were worried about this game because it would have been easy to lower our level after El Clasico. So, I didn't want to rotate too much. I wanted the team to be focused," he added.
"Offensively, we were really good. But, it was an open game until the middle of the second half because there were so many offside goals. It could have been more difficult.
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"We are doing well physically. Obviously there are more than 11 players who deserve to play. We even had [Eduardo] Camavinga, [Aurelien] Tchouameni, Lucas [Vazquez] and Asensio on the bench today."
Ancelotti also hailed Federico Valverde, with the Uruguay international again getting his name on the scoresheet on Wednesday night.
"I made a bet, but I think he'll score more than 10 this season. If he scores four more then I get to keep my coaching license! He keeps surprising us. He does well on the wing or in midfield," he added.
The 24-year-old has scored six goals and registered two assists in 15 appearances for Real Madrid this season, including five goals and one assist in La Liga.
Los Blancos will be bidding to make it four straight league victories when they welcome Sevilla to Bernabeu on Saturday night.
Matt Law
