Real Madrid News
Injury update: Three Real Madrid players doubt for El Clasico after Mallorca clash
Still fresh from the hangover of their stunning win over Paris-Saint Germain, Real Madrid pulled off another dominating victory over Mallorca. With this win, they go ten points clear of Sevilla, having played an equal number of games.
However, not all was well at Son Moix. Carlo Ancelotti’s side walked away with three points, there was a price to pay.
According to reports from Fernando Palomi, Karim Benzema, Rodrygo, and Ferland Mendy left the field injured on the night and are a doubt for the next game: El Clasico vs Barcelona.
Real Madrid take on Barcelona on 20th March at the Santiago Bernabeu for their second league clash of the season. The Madrid based side have beaten the Catalans twice already, but the situation is now different.
Barcelona have begun to string together a good run of form under Xavi Hernandez and look more confident than ever. In such circumstances, Ancelotti will hope the injuries to his stars are not severe.
Benzema has carried Los Blancos‘ attack this season with over 45 goal contributions. He has scored 22 goals and provided 11 assists in the league alone.
The other absence worrying the manager will be that of Ferland Mendy, especially given that Marcelo can no longer provide as much quality at left-back.
Nevertheless, Ancelotti has options to cover for the absentees if forced to. Marco Asensio and Gareth Bale would be suitable options to play in place of Rodrygo and Benzema, respectively while Nacho Fernandez could cover at left-back for the game against Barcelona.
Real Madrid News
U-turn? Benzema hints at Real Madrid stay during ceremony: “Reality is not the internet”
There has been a lot of talk around Karim Benzema’s situation over the course of the last week or so, with reports claiming that the Frenchman was on his way out of the Santiago Bernabeu.
With his contract expiring at the end of the season, it was reported that Benzema was joining Al Ittihad as part of an incredible deal worth nearly €200 million. The striker was also offered 100% of his image rights and advertising deals by the Saudi government.
Over the last day or so, it has been reported that the move is all but official at the moment, as Benzema has accepted the offer, and will soon inform Real Madrid about it.
Benzema was awarded the MARCA Leyenda awards for contribution to sports today, and speaking during it, he dropped a rather cryptic message about his future – one that says quite the opposite to what has been in the news recently.
“Speak to the fans? Speak about what? Why should I speak of the future if I’m in Madrid?”, Benzema said.
“It’s the internet speaking, and reality is not the internet,” he added.
This certainly falls away from the departure line for Benzema, who was reportedly already contemplating his life away from Madrid.
At first, though, he was hesitant about speaking about his future, saying, “Staying or leaving Real Madrid? At the moment, I’m here…we have a game on Saturday.”
He repeatedly talked about the fans, calling them the best in world football. He also said, “I know how much Real Madrid fans love me. I feel that when I’m on the pitch, I give my best for them, always.”
“I always say that we play with 11 on the pitch but also with a crucial factor, Real Madrid fans,” Benzema concluded.
