OMNISPORT 

Keisuke Honda admits he is finding it hard to sit on the AC Milan substitutes' bench as rumours of a January departure from San Siro intensify.

The Japan international has only made four Serie A starts in 2015-16 and has not been included in Sinisa Mihajlovic's starting XI since the 3-2 win over Udinese on September 22.

Honda has been linked with a move to the Premier League as a result and he acknowledges it has been difficult for him to deal with a place out of the team.

"The Milan situation is not easy," the 29-year-old said to La Gazzetta dello Sport.

"To be on the bench for so many matches is something that has never happened to me before and I am beginning to understand how it feels to be on the outside.

"My position with the national team group, fortunately, is different."

Honda publicly disagreed with head coach Mihajlovic last month after he criticised the players for a poor start to the season, a run of results that has since turned around with Milan now up to sixth in the table after five league matches without defeat.