Karim Benzema has been ruled out of the Champions League quarter final second leg against Atletico de Madrid with a knee injury, the club has confirmed.
It means Los Blancos head into the clash with their city rivals with a major selection crisis, with Gareth Bale and Luka Modric also being ruled out through injury and left-back Marcelo being suspended for the game.
Real need to win at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday after a 0-0 draw at the Vicente Calderon last week. A score draw for Carlo Ancelotti’s side would not be enough as Diego Simeone’s men would be through on away goals.
Benzema picked up the problem during the first leg and sat out the La Liga win over Malaga at the weekend. He was seen leaving training on Friday morning heavily bandaged, putting his participation in the game against Los Colchoneros in doubt.
And a statement on the club website confirmed the bad news. It read: “After the tests carried out on Karim Benzema by the Real Madrid medical team, they have diagnosed a sprain in the medial collateral ligament in his right knee.”
It is not known yet how long Benzema will be missing for. Gareth Bale has been ruled out for up to three weeks with a calf injury, while Luka Modric isn’t expected to appear again for Los Blancos this season have suffered a knee ligament problem.
