The French striker did not train with his team-mates this Friday and the Real Madrid coach has hinted that he can give him a rest, though he points out that “it is not out of the question”
The surprise arose during Real Madrid’s last training session prior to the game that the Whites will play against Getafe on Saturday in the Coliseum Alfonso Pérez. Karim Benzema did not train with the rest of his teammates and it is likely that he will rest against the azulón team in the match corresponding to the eighth day of the competition, although Carlo Ancelotti assured the striker “is not ruled out”.
«Benzema has played two games in a row after a month. It’s a bit overloaded. He has not trained today, but he is not excluded. If he’s okay tomorrow, he can play,” the Real Madrid coach pointed out on the eve of a clash in which, after the first setback of the season against Osasuna last weekend, the whites will try to return to the path of the victory to arrive at the classic on the 17th with high morale.
With the confirmed losses of Ceballos, who will be off the field for two to three weeks due to an injury to his biceps femoris, and Courtois, who is still recovering from the sciatica that prevented him from playing the last two games, the main unknown Benzema, whom Ancelotti takes care of so that he arrives in optimal conditions for the fight with Barca next Sunday at the Santiago Bernabéu. It should be remembered that the Lyon native returned to the field last weekend, having been in dry dock since September 6 due to a semitendinosus injury and quadriceps strain, both in his right leg.
Due to this problem, he missed two league games, against Mallorca and Atlético, and another in the Champions League, against Leipzig, before returning to the field in the game against Osasuna. Benzema was also on the green this Wednesday, completing the 90 minutes of the Champions League clash in which the fourteen-time king of Europe played against Shakhtar (2-1).
The setback against Celtic was a delay for a forward who, after stepping in later in the preseason, was still building pace, and who has not started the season with the finesse of previous seasons. He has scored four goals and provided an assist in the eight matches he has taken part in and against Shakhtar he was seen with some trepidation due to his lack of goal. Despite this, Ancelotti has no doubts that the favorite to win the Ballon d’Or on October 17th will soon get his best version back. “He’s had an injury that has held him back a bit, but I see the usual Karim. We are not concerned about this. He may be resting tomorrow because we don’t want to risk it, but we’re not worried,” he said.
Regardless of the status of the number ‘9’, Ancelotti warned his students of the difficulty of visiting the Colosseum Alfonso Perez, where Real Madrid saw a run of 12 games come to a halt without defeat on January 2. «The keys are the same as always, get the best out of us, prepare well, despite the difficulties. Last year this game cost us a lot. Getafe has not started this season very well, but lately they have done very well. He has intensity and good organization. It won’t be easy to win there.”
The Italian ruled out that one of his players could play with the handbrake on as the World Cup in Qatar approaches. “I don’t think so. Knowing the players, they want to play,” pointed out the coach, who in any case emphasized that he should keep an eye on the fatigue of his men by having to play every three days. »The player is not so sincere in this sense he says he’s okay even when he’s tired sometimes not being honest in this regard costs injuries I’d rather they be honest when they’re tired and they tell me they’d rather quit, but only two players have told me that in 30 years: one was Pepe, in a Champions League final, and the other Seedorf, in a league game,” he explained.
Ancelotti assured that he is not afraid of an over-easing of his players, but he acknowledged that they need to improve defensively. “The psychological is important, but it’s what worries me the least. This team has shown to be very strong at that. Sometimes we need to defend better, we all think that, not just me,” said the Reggiolo coach, who wants his team to be like a chameleon who has no trouble shedding his skin. «A Madrid that does not have just one identity. There are games where you have to push higher to have more control over the game and others where you have an advantage with the low block. We are not going to see one Madrid, but a complete Madrid. I don’t like a team with only one identity.”
He referred to Courtois, whose availability will depend on his feelings. “He is getting better from his inflammation. We have to think whether traveling to Warsaw with the problem he has had can cause problems or not, but for the classic he will be safe,” he said. And he also referred to the future of Kroos, who has an extension offer on the table. “Kroos is in very good shape physically and mentally. He always trains well, with a smile on his face, he never gets angry or feels the pressure of the matches. This seems very strange to me. The renewal is in your hand. If he wants to extend, all Madrid fans will be happy,” he said.
Source: La Verdad
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