Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has claimed his side will manage well without star forward Karim Benzema who is set to miss the highly anticipated El Clasico match against Barcelona due to injury.
The France international had to request to be substituted in Real Madrid’s last game against Mallorca and reportedly didn’t train on Saturday ahead of the Clasico.
Benzema has made 34 appearances across all competitions for Los Blancos this season, scoring 32 goals and grabbing 13 assists.
He would obviously be a big miss for Madrid but his manager Carlo Ancelotti has played down the impact of his absence, claiming that his side can cope well without highest goalscorer.
“Yes, I think so, we can do it,” Ancelotti told the media when asked if he thought his side could win without their star striker.
“He’s obviously an important part of this team, but he usually gets the job done and we now have to keep that job and look for other solutions upfront.
“He is a player who is 34 years old and sometimes it [injury] can happen to him. They are very minor annoyances and he has recovered very quickly.
“When he has come back, he has made a difference. We have another two weeks to work with him and then he will make a difference again.”
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Ancelotti added that he wasn’t worried about Benzema not futuring in the Clasico and backed him to have a great impact when he returns to action after his injury.
“He doesn’t worry me that he won’t play tomorrow,” he added. “Because we have time for him to play at the end of the season and make a difference.”
Barcelona are Benzema’s fourth favourite side to score against, bagging 11 goals in his career against the Blaugrana, while they are the side he has provided the most assists against with 10.
Madrid currently sit in first place in the table with 66 points, 10 points ahead of second-placed Sevilla, while Barcelona are in third place with 51 points, having played a game fewer than their rivals.
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