There were some worries that Luka Jovic and Karim Benzema would not be 100 percent for Saturday’s clash against Sevilla, but both Real Madrid strikers will be available for Matchweek 20.
Karim Benzema missed both Spanish Supercup games with a hamstring injury, but Real Madrid still won the cup behind stellar performances from a loaded midfield. Zinedine Zidane made use of Luka Jovic as the main striker, as the young Eintracht Frankfurt product showed his hard running, desire, and positioning despite not coming up with a goal.
Because of Benzema’s hamstring injury, there were some lingering doubts regarding his status for Saturday’s big game against Sevilla at the Santiago Bernabeu. Furthermore, Jovic was also in doubt, as the Serbia international did not practice after the team’s tournament triumph in Saudi Arabia.
However, MARCA reports that both Jovic and Benzema returned to practice with their teammates on Thursday, so they look locked in to be available in the 19-man squad against Sevilla. There may be some questions if they are 100 percent, but it’s possible Benzema was held out of the Spanish Supercup to give him some rest – and to test out Jovic. There were also no indications of Jovic suffering an injury in the cup games despite the missed practices.
Gareth Bale returned a couple of days earlier to practice after missing the Spanish Supercup semifinal and final with an upper respiratory tract infection. He should be a “full go” on Matchweek 20 against Sevilla, where he’ll be tasked with doing a lot of grunt work against a well-disciplined Julen Lopetegui side that has its eyes on third place.
Saturday’s clash against Sevilla is a major one for Real Madrid, so it’s great to hear that both Jovic and Benzema are healthy. Otherwise, Real could have been forced to start Mariano Diaz, who made his only two appearances this season as a late substitute in both Supercup games.