Real Madrid News
Real Madrid superstar issues clarification on recent injury troubles: “I was not at 100%”
The criticism over Karim Benzema’s reluctance to play Real Madrid’s final three games before the international break went very far, accusing the player of intentionally missing games to avoid the risk of injury ahead of the World Cup.
The matter got out of hand to such an extent that the Frenchman had to come out on multiple platforms to put out his side of the story.
In his recent interview with L’Equipe too, Benzema came out with a statement justifying his decision to not play for two weeks, citing that he was not at 100%.
“I’m fine. I had small pains, but no tear or big injury. I could play but not 100%. It wasn’t a matter of taking or not taking a risk, It’s just that I was not at 100%. Since then, I have worked well in the gym. I ran, I lay down, so it’s okay. ”
His fear of injury is understandable, given that the FIFA World Cup is an event that comes only once in four years. Benzema has the chance to help his National Team defend their title from the 2018 edition, and playing while not completely fit could have backfired in a plethora of ways.
With the tournament kicking off in less than a week, it appears that the Ballon d’Or winner has still not recovered. Yesterday, he left the training camp in just 15 minutes and did not even touch the ball once owing to his discomfort, although the French camp insisted that it was the plan for the striker.
Didier Deschamps’ men kick off their tournament in just under a week and face Australia as their first opponent. Their biggest competition in the group stage, however, will be Denmark for the Danish side have punched well above their level in recent tournaments.
Arda Guler’s Real Madrid stint has not gotten off to the start he would have hoped to have given the expectation that preceded the transfer.
Having joined in the summer after Real Madrid outbid their competition to win him over from Fenerbahce for a 20-million-euro fee, buzz was high as the winger was expected to slot into the team quite seamlessly, albeit on a rotational basis.
Unfortunately for the 18-year-old, he has been constantly marred by injuries since completing the move.
Reports have stated that after Guler picked up his third injury since his move, Real Madrid have been concerned and want to take things slow with the player to ensure he is fit as soon as possible after an injury to his quadriceps this time.
The Turk is yet to make his competitive debut for the club, and Real Madrid even sacked their medical chief in November, in light of their injury crises since the beginning of the season.
No loan deal for Guler
However, according to Fabrizio Romano in a recent YouTube video, he states that Madrid maintain full trust and patience in the youngster.
Despite his bad luck with injuries, the latest of which he is scheduled to return from after Christmas, the Galacticos have no intention of loaning out Guler to Turkish clubs despite lots of speculation of them doing so of late.
Romano states that Madrid remain firm on not shaking things up too much with the squad, and they want to keep their roster stable, including Arda Guler.
They want to extend their full support and protection to the player as he aims to return to full fitness and finally make his bow for Madrid either by the end of this month or in 2024.
