Real Madrid News
Official: Real Madrid squad list to face Atletico Madrid
Real Madrid will embark on a short trip to take on cross-town rivals Atletico Madrid at the Civitas Metropolitano on Sunday night in La Liga.
And ahead of the pivotal clash that will test Los Blancos’ perfect start to the season, Carlo Ancelotti has named his squad for the trip to Atletico.
As expected, there is no place for Karim Benzema and Lucas Vazquez, who have been ruled out of the contest due to injuries and are expected to return against Osasuna at the international break.
Eder Militao is back into the reckoning after missing the last two matches through injury, although Ancelotti did not give away whether the Brazilian would start against the Rojiblancos or not.
Otherwise, the rest of the squad is filled with the usual suspects, with Thibaut Courtois returning to face his former club while veteran midfielders Toni Kroos and Luka Modric are also part of the roster.
Fringe players such as Jesus Vallejo, Alvaro Odriozola and Mariano Diaz are also part of the travelling squad for the champions of Spain and Europe.
📋✅ Our squad for #AtletiRealMadrid! pic.twitter.com/UqobG6Fzv3
— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) September 17, 2022
However, all eyes will be on a certain Vinicius Jr on Sunday at the Civitas Metropolitano after he has found himself at the centre of all the news over the past 24 hours, having been subjected to a racist slur by a football agent.
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.
