How Gareth Bale Could Benefit from Karim Benzema Injury Absence at Real Madrid

Gareth Bale is likely to receive a little more attacking freedom in light of the absence, through injury, of Karim Benzema for Real Madrid’s home match against Malaga on Saturday.

Per Alvaro de la Rosa of AS, Benzema made a premature departure from Madrid’s training session on Friday morning due to problems with his right knee. And Carlo Ancelotti confirmed in his pre-match press conference, as per Madrid-based journalist Dermot Corrigan, that the Frenchman will not be available for this weekend’s match.

Bale has been suffering his own niggling fitness problems over the last month or so. Both he and Benzema were rested from last weekend’s home victory over Eibar, with Jese Rodriguez and Javier Hernandez coming into the team in their stead.

Malaga will, though, provide Madrid with a sterner test. They have already taken four points off Barcelona, while they drew 2-2 at home to Atletico Madrid in their last league outing.

They also gave a good account of themselves in a narrow 2-1 defeat to Madrid on home soil earlier this season.

Javi Gracia is sure to have his side well organised for their trip to the capital. And Ancelotti appears in no mood to take unnecessary risks with his starting XI, despite the close proximity of the second leg of their Champions League tie against Atletico.

The Italian also said, as per @SocialRMadrid, that he has not yet made a decision over who will replace Benzema on Saturday.

Hernandez made a good case for future inclusion with a good performance and goal in the comfortable 3-0 victory over Eibar. If he starts again on Saturday, then Bale will take up his usual wide-forward role in a 4-3-3 formation.

However, if Ancelotti is indeed keen to put out his strongest possible lineup, it is more likely that it will be Isco who comes in for Benzema. In that case, Bale would join Cristiano Ronaldo up front in a 4-4-2 formation.

Such a move would see Bale released from the defensive responsibilities that he has been criticised, in AS, El Pais (in Spanish) and Marca, for failing to consistently fulfil throughout the current campaign.

Ronaldo is largely excused from tracking back, while Benzema, too, has little defensive work to do once the ball has been moved beyond him into midfield. Bale, though, is expected to track back with the opposition full-back down the right, thus facilitating the switch from a 4-3-3 in possession to a 4-4-2 in defence that Ancelotti asks for.

Bale has found it difficult to balance his offensive and defensive duties this season, and his attacking output has suffered. Per WhoScored.com, his numbers of goals and assists have both dropped on a per-minute basis in comparison to the previous campaign.

It has been a taxing adjustment for a player who was essentially handed the keys to the Tottenham Hotspur attack during his final season at White Hart Lane, completing more dribbles, making more key passes and taking on more shots per match that any of his team-mates, as per WhoScored.

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Saturday’s match is, however, likely to give him a chance to show what he can do when provided with some of the freedoms he enjoyed at Spurs, and which Ronaldo currently benefits from at the Bernabeu.

If Isco does start in Benzema’s place, he and James Rodriguez will be tasked with covering the flanks when Madrid don’t have the ball, leaving Bale and Ronaldo to conserve their energy up top. With less defensive responsibilities to occupy him, Bale will be able to focus on what he does best: Making a difference in the final third.

The Welshman’s poor standing with the Madrid supporter base is unlikely to have been helped by his early miss against Atletico on Tuesday. And he will be keen to make a good impression against Malaga ahead of the second leg on home soil.

He is not entirely faultless for what has been a relatively disappointing second season for him in Spain. But it must also be noted that his ability to meet the expectations of supporters and media alike has been hampered by the requirements placed upon him by Ancelotti and the rest of the coaching staff.

Freed of those shackles, he will have a prime opportunity to show exactly what he is capable of on Saturday evening.