Inter Milan boss Roberto Mancini has talked up the qualities of rising prospect Mateo Kovacic despite him being left on the bench in recent weeks.

Kovacic has long been talked about as one of Serie A's most promising youngsters, but speculation has suggested that the Inter boss has been reluctant to play the midfielder because of his relative inexperience.

"Mateo is a first-choice player, as are others," Mancini told reporters, according to Goal.com.

"He must be allowed to grow calmly and to be helped by experts, as he is the one on whom we will build the future of Inter. Kovacic is extraordinary. He works and he works. He only needs to understand some difficult tactical ideas that are hard for a 20-year-old, but he will have his opportunities.

"We are playing lots of games at the moment so we will definitely mix things up a bit against Cagliari. We have good players who are performing exceptionally well."

Inter currently hold 11th spot in the Serie A standings.