March 18, (THEWILL) – Karim Benzema is a doubt for the upcoming El Clasico on Sunday even though the Frenchman has not been completely ruled out. Real Madrid believe he has a 40% chance of playing at the Santiago Bernabeu against old rivals Barcelona.
Carlo Ancelotti is not ready to take any chances with the very impressive forward, as Real Madrid’s top aim is for the Frenchman to be totally healthy for Real Madrid’s Champions League quarter-final match against Chelsea, following Friday’s draw.
In La Liga Santander, Los Blancos are presently 10 points ahead of second-placed Sevilla and up to 15 points ahead of Barcelona, who are now third in the league standings.
Despite the fact that the Clasico is crucial to Real Madrid’s ambitions of capturing the La Liga Santander title, Los Blancos would rather have Benzema miss the match against Barcelona than go into the tie against Chelsea without him in their lineup.
The good news is that Benzema’s injury is minor, according to medical evaluation.
Meanwhile, Ancelotti will have access to all of his players, with the exception of Ferland Mendy, who is out with a knock. Gareth Bale did some indoor training on Friday, but he is not injured. And, though his attention is on Wales’ forthcoming World Cup playoff match against Austria in 2022, he can be played if selected.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
