Karim Benzema Injury: Updates on Real Madrid Striker's Leg and Return
Updates from Saturday, March 22
Real Madrid's official Twitter feed has the latest on Benzema:
".@MrAncelotti: "Benzema has recovered from his injury." #RealMadridBarcelona #RMLive
— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadriden) March 22, 2014"
Original Text
Karim Benzema was forced out of a La Liga match with a leg injury, creating what could be a devastating loss for Real Madrid.
The Spanish club entered the March 15 match against Malaga with a three-point lead in the league table. Unfortunately, Benzema was only able to play 32 minutes before coming off for Angel Di Maria, as noted by Fox Soccer Trax:
TomConn of Inside Spanish Football provided more details of the injury, which came as the forward collided with Cristiano Ronaldo:
"The striker tried to brush it off and continue playing but the pain was too much and Benzema called to the bench asking to be subbed off.
Initial tests indicate that the injury isn’t serious, but that the Frenchman has indeed suffered a deep thigh bruise and further tests will be performed Sunday morning and continuously throughout the week to determine if Benzema will be fit to play in next weekend’s ‘El Clasico’ against Barcelona.
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While Real Madrid was able to hold on for a 1-0 road victory, this injury could still become a big issue for the club if it leads to an extended absence for Benzema. The French star leads the club with 25 league starts this season and ranks second behind Ronaldo with 15 goals. He has also contributed six assists this year.
With the second league match against Barcelona coming up, Real Madrid could be in trouble without one of its best players.
Dermot Corrigan of ESPN FC noted the issues that took place when Benzema went off:
If Benzema cannot return to action in the next week, manager Carlo Ancelotti must make some adjustments to his lineup. An extended absence could lead to a larger role for young players like Jese and Alvaro Morata.
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