Real Madrid handed blow ahead of crunch Barca clash
Spanish giants Real Madrid have been handed a blow in their quest to upset their in-form rivals Barcelona. Real’s main man upfront Karim Benzema is nursing a calf injury he sustained on Monday against Mallorca and will be forced to sit out the clash against the Catalans on Sunday evening.
Benzema has been in terrific form this season, scoring 22 goals, among them a hat trick against PSG in the UEFA Champions League.
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti revealed yesterday that the French international did not train with the rest and he would miss the crunch clash against the perennial rivals.
“We never take risks,” coach Carlo Ancelotti said in a news conference on Saturday. “Tomorrow [Benzema] can’t play because he hasn’t trained, he feels some discomfort. It’s a small injury… [Gareth Bale] is one of the alternatives. We have Mariano [Diaz], we have [Luka] Jovic, I’ve played Isco and Rodrygo there too. There are a lot of options.”
Ancelotti said Benzema’s rehabilitation could be gradual due to his age but he remained optimistic that he would soon be available for selection.
“Karim is 34 years old, it can happen,” he added. “It doesn’t worry me, we have two weeks now to work with him. We have time to get him ready for the end of the season, and he’ll come back and make the difference like always.”
Real is topping Barca by 15 points on the La Liga table, and is considered favourites for the domestic crown.
[Additional reportage by ESPN]
