There's nothing personal with James

The Real Madrid boss insists it was simply a technical decision to leave the Colombian out of the starting XI against Sporting Gijon

Real Madrid head coach Rafael Benitez insists his decision to omit James Rodriguez from his starting XI for the opening fixture of the Liga season was purely tactical.

The Colombian was limited to 34 minutes from the bench as Madrid were held to a goalless draw at Sporting Gijon, but tweeted this week that he felt "better than ever".

And Benitez has played down reports of a spat between the pair, stressing James' importance to the side.

"James is a great player," he told a news conference. "He's fundamental, the same as Isco and his other team-mates.