FC Barcelona head coach Ronald Koeman offered an honest assessment over Ousmane Dembele amid Manchester United's pursuit of the 2018 FIFA World Cup winner.
United have made a late approach for the France international after failing to agree a fee with Borussia Dortmund winger Jadon Sancho.
It's believed a season-long loan deal for Dembele has been tabled to the LaLiga giants with only four days remaining left in the transfer window.
And Koeman admits he's still part of his plans but he's currently behind the likes of Ansu Fati in their pecking order for the starting line-up.
"This is a situation to be resolved by the club and the player," Koeman said, as per ESPN. "As long as the player is with us, he is part of my plans.
"He didn't start [against Villarreal] because there are other players, too, and Ansu Fati has demonstrated that he is good enough to play.
"Ousmane has to wait for his chance. He was better physically in the first few weeks of preseason. He has dipped a little bit in the last week, but he trained well today and I'm counting on him."
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The 23-year-old arrived at Camp Nou in 2017 as the replacement for Neymar in a staggering €105-million transfer but his stay has so far blighted by niggling injuries with 81 first-team games missed.
And with his current fitness record, Koeman concedes that he could be sold in order to raise funds for their next transfer targets, with Memphis Depay believed to be their main priority.
"We know the club have financial limitations but there are two or three positions we're working on," Koeman explained.
"There's nothing certain at the moment. We're a little weak in the centre-back position for the season that lies ahead of us, while we're also looking for another No.9."