In Real Madrid’s league game against Elche CF that ended in a dramatic 2-2 draw – thanks to the late equalizer coming off from the head of Eder Militao – Karim Benzema felt a slight discomfort in his left leg that, at first look, appeared to be a problem with the hamstring and as a result of which he was subbed off as a precautionary measure by Carlo Ancelotti.
Later on, tests were carried out on the French international at the club’s facilities which revealed that he suffered from a contracture on his ischial muscle and has an overload.
According to journalist Sergio Quirante, the cause of the aforesaid injury is the accumulation of back-to-back games and lack of rest for the player resulting in fatigue.
Honestly, we all thought this would happen one day. The only positive thing that can be squeezed out of this injury is that it must act as an eye-opener to the management team, making them realize that depending on a single player, no matter how good he’s been playing, might benefit today but will backfire in the long run.
How many games will Karim Benzema miss for Real Madrid?
Just after finishing his tests at Valdebebas, the striker spent hours with the team’s physios immediately starting with his recovery process and it is suggested that the problem is not as serious as it was thought to be.
In medical terms, this type of contracture falls under the category of ‘Grade I’ injury, generally extending up to a timeline of 7 to 10 days, says Dr. Rajpal Brar. It includes structural damage only on a microscopic level with slight local tenderness and discomfort without joint instability.
Los Blancos play their next match against Athletic Bilbao in the quarterfinals of Copa Del Rey after 10 days so the possibility of Benzema returning to the squad is not completely ruled out, although the odds of the situation are not big enough to make a bet.
As far as the Champions League face-off against PSG on 15th February (a solid 22 days gap from today) is concerned, Benzema will most definitely get back in his boots to captain the team for a match and competition so important as he is constantly working with the medical team for his recovery since day one.
Benzema appears to be optimistic about his situation at the moment but more concerns arise when Dr. Rajpal Brar mentions that his injury might be near the tendon based on the place he had his hand around, and he had a similar injury there last month. He says that it could lead to a longer timeline.
The picture will get clearer when an MRI test is conducted on the player, due Tuesday morning. These conclusive tests will determine whether Benzema would be physically fit to face PSG or not.
Till then, the cloud of uncertainty remains unpenetrated. The good thing is that there is a decent amount of time for the number nine to recover for the UCL tie even if the reports go all the way south.
However, the main point to worry about shall not only be the recovery but also a deep thought on how the team relies on one player while having a pool of young backups available.
Despite being 34 years old, Benzema has been on the pitch representing Real Madrid for more than 2300 minutes this season while his backups Luka Jovic and Mariano have played a combined total of 600 minutes.
At the same time, the blame should not at all fall on Ancelotti because the two backups have shown no sign of coming even close to the French striker’s level on the pitch, let alone competing with him for a spot in the team. Most of their performances have been bad and of zero benefit to the team.
This, though unfairly, puts the Italian coach in dense perplexity and dilemma to solve the equation without any consistent backing from Jovic and Mariano. They have their moments, but that is simply not enough.