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Barcelona midfielder Denis Suarez has issued what could be interpreted as an ultimatum over his future after scoring twice in Wednesday night's Copa del Rey win over Cultural Leonesa, hinting that he needs more regular playing time if he is to stay.

Suarez, who has been linked with Chelsea and AC Milan, was making only his third appearance of the season on Wednesday after being consistently overlooked since returning to fitness from a muscle injury earlier in the campaign.

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The 24-year-old is determined to play more often and hinted he could consider a future elsewhere if his two-goal performance is not deemed enough to keep his place when Barça face city rivals Espanyol in La Liga at the weekend.

"I felt very good on the pitch. Today was an exam for me and I think I passed this test, but let's see if I'm going to play on Saturday," Suarez is quoted as saying by local publication Mundo Deportivo after speaking to the media following the Cultural game.

"The last decision is always the coach. I do not have the minutes I wanted to have and I just want to play. I think I'm working well and my only goal is to play more."

Although not a graduate from the famed La Masia, former Manchester City scholar Suarez arrived at Camp Nou as a teenager in 2013 and spent a season finding his feet with Barcelona B. He joined Sevilla on loan the following year and was then sold to Villarreal in 2015.

But after a single impressive campaign at El Madrigal, Barça saw fit to trigger the buy-back clause that had been inserted into the original sale agreement and took Suarez swiftly back to Catalonia, even handing him the iconic number six shirt made famous by club legend Xavi.

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It is now over two years later and Suarez has failed to establish himself. He has started only 16 La Liga games during that time, often left an unused substitute or omitted from the matchday squad altogether, and appears to be understandably frustrated his career has not progressed.