Real Madrid's treatment of Keylor Navas is criminal

Five appearances in La Liga and another two in the Champions League.

What kind of playing time is that for one of the planet's top 'keepers?

When Real Madrid signed Keylor Navas to a six-year deal in August, the shot-stopper was fresh off a remarkable World Cup performance in which he carried Costa Rica's national team to the quarterfinals.

Without Navas, Costa Rica's World Cup adventure would have ended far sooner. He conceded only two goals in five matches and sent the Central American nation into hysterics with a jaw-dropping display versus Greece in the Round of 16.

After Oscar Duarte received a second yellow card in the 66th minute, Greece piled on the pressure in search of an equaliser. Navas had other plans, however, and made save after save to preserve Costa Rica's lead until Fernando Santos's side eventually found a 90th-minute goal.

As Greece continued to exploit their one-man advantage in extra time, Navas didn't let up. He stood on his head until the 120th minute, finishing the match with seven saves and setting the stage for a penalty shootout in which he made a ridiculous one-handed stop on Theofanis Gekas to see his side through to the quarterfinals.

Those who didn't know Navas before the World Cup were surely aware of him by the end of the competition, but his heroics were nothing new for supporters who had seen him at Levante UD in 2013-14.

Navas appeared in 37 of Levante's 38 La Liga fixtures that season and earned a reputation as one of the top 'keepers in Europe. He recorded 17 clean sheets - only second in La Liga to Thibaut Courtois with 20 at Atletico Madrid - and produced more total saves (141) than any 'keeper in the top five European leagues.

It didn't come as a huge surprise when Real Madrid paid £7.9 million to Levante to activate Navas's release clause. However, nearly nine months on, the Costa Rican's abilities between the posts have seemingly been forgotten, as he's been forced to watch Real Madrid from the bench.

There was always reason to expect Navas would have to prove his worth to dethrone club icon Iker Casillas as Real Madrid's first-choice 'keeper, but the 28-year-old hasn't been offered a single opportunity to do so.

Real Madrid's 3-0 win against UD Almeria on Wednesday marked only his 10th appearance of the season in all competitions. Even Diego Lopez - who competed with Casillas for minutes under manager Jose Mourinho in 2013-14 and is a far cry from Navas in terms of talent - was afforded the chance to earn increased playing time.

Although Navas's sample size is small given his minimal role this season, his per-90-minute metrics in La Liga provide something of an illustration as to how well he stacks up against Casillas.

None of this is to suggest Casillas deserves to lose his starting role. The sample size in the above comparison is tiny, Real Madrid are enjoying another solid campaign, and it's entirely possible that Navas is perfectly happy and was told he'd spend the majority of his first season at the Santiago Bernabeu on the bench.

But given the fact that Navas is one of the greatest 'keepers in the game at the moment, it's a criminal move on Real Madrid's behalf, denying supporters the chance to witness superhuman reflexes in the same way that Navas denies strikers of goals.

It also looks as if a wrench is about to be thrown into Navas's situation: Florentino Perez and Carlo Ancelotti are reportedly in search of a 'keeper and working on the acquisition of Manchester United's David De Gea.

Why do Real Madrid need De Gea when Navas is sitting on the bench waiting to take over? Why wasn't Navas loaned out if he was barely going to feature this season? Why is life so unfair?

So many questions ...