Real Madrid outcast Isco blasts claims he leaked starting XI before Chelsea clash

Real Madrid outcast Isco has blasted claims he is the ‘mole’ leaking team line-ups and says he has been ostracised to such an extent that he did not even know the starting XI to face Chelsea.

According to widespread reports in the Spanish press, Carlo Ancelotti has been on the hunt for someone within the club who has been leaking his line-ups to radio stations several hours before kick-off.

In order to avoid that from happening, he has started to name his starting XI two hours before kick-off, rather than the usual hour.

That happened at the weekend before Real’s 2-0 win over Getafe in La Liga and again on Tuesday night before facing Chelsea, with the line-up confirmed over two hours before the game was due to kick-off.

It was claimed that Ancelotti has now discovered the identity of the mole, with Real fans on social media speculating that Isco was the source.

But the playmaker – who has been left out of the squad for the last four matches both domestically and in Europe – hit out at the rumours on Twitter and says he is not currently even involved in tactical meetings.

Replying to a fan claiming he was the mole, Isco wrote: ‘I’m not called up [to the squad] so I haven’t attended the technical talk.

‘So it’s impossible that I leaked the Real Madrid line-up! Go send your hate elsewhere!’

Borrowing a line from the fake news-hating Donald Trump, he also wrote ‘SAD’ in block capital letters alongside a crying-laughing emoji.

Isco is expected to leave the Bernabeu this summer having barely featured under Ancelotti this season, making just 11 appearances in La Liga – and none in the Champions League – and only scoring once.

Ancelotti’s ploy of naming his line-up early may not have had the desired effect, with Mason Mount