Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic has claimed that Serbia teammate Luka Jovic is going through a "crisis" at Real Madrid.
The 22-year-old has struggled to make an impact at the Bernabeu since arriving in a £52m deal from Eintracht Frankfurt last summer, registering two goals in 15 La Liga appearances thus far.
However, Mitrovic has backed his compatriot to show his true quality with consistent game time.
Speaking to Butasport, Mitrovic said: "He's in a sort of crisis. When you are a striker, the most important thing is to be on the pitch. I don't think he has had many opportunities.
"I was in that situation at Newcastle. You only have five, 10, 15 minutes, and in the time you try and do what you can to prove your worth, especially when you have cost a lot of money. You want to do everything and it burns you out.
"He just needs minutes. I'm convinced that if he plays a few whole games, the goals will arrive. He has to keep working and believing in himself, keep training and the rest will come.
"That said, goals are like ketchup: when you shake it, you don't score, but after that you get more than you expected. He has to be persistent and not give up.
"He really has everything to be a tremendous striker. Playing for Real Madrid brings a lot of pressure, responsibility and all that, but he is young and he has a lot of seasons and football ahead."
Jovic netted 36 times in 75 appearances for Frankfurt prior to making the switch to the Spanish capital.
Ben Knapton
