While Real Madrid started their UEFA Champions League title defence with a win, that 3-0 victory over Celtic on September 6 was soured by the sight of captain Karim Benzema forced off with injury.
The French forward was substituted after just 30 minutes in Glasgow to set alarm bells ringing.
Benzema, a strong favourite to win the Ballon d’Or this year, was vital to Real Madrid’s successful 2021/22 season and ended the campaign with 44 goals to his name across all competitions.
His injury worry comes at a bad time for Carlo Ancelotti with his side poised to juggle a heavy schedule prior to the World Cup break.
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Karim Benzema injury
Benzema left the Celtic match with visible pain in his right leg.
Subsequent scans conducted by Real Madrid have confirmed the extent of his injury.
“Following tests carried out on our player Karim Benzema by the Real Madrid Medical Services, he has been diagnosed with an injury to the semitendinosus tendon and a strain to the quadricep muscle in his right thigh,” a club statement read.
“His recovery will continue to be assessed.”
Speaking after the win over Celtic, Ancelotti looked to downplay the injury, but that was before any scans were done on the Frenchman.
“We don’t think Benzema has a big problem. It’s muscular,” Ancelotti said.
🔄 30′ | 0-0 | Substitution: @hazardeden10 ↔ @Benzema #UCL pic.twitter.com/zvxwwypNtX
— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) September 6, 2022
Benzema injury history
Benzema is no stranger to injuries and continues to wear a bandage on his right hand due to a broken pinky finger that still requires surgery.
The 34-year-old missed six games for Real Madrid last season due to injuries.
Hamstrings have been a common area of injury for Benzema over the years with the Frenchman sidelined four times specifically as a result.
Benzema’s longest injury absence came in October 2015 when he was ruled out for 39 days as a result of a thigh muscle strain.
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How many matches will Benzema miss?
When confirming the extent of Benzema’s latest injury, Real Madrid declined to give any time frame for his potential return.
He is, however, all but certain to miss their next La Liga match on September 11 against Mallorca.
After that, he is then a doubt for Real Madrid’s next Champions League match against RB Leipzig on September 14.
A return for a league match against local rivals Atletico Madrid could be on the cards but Ancelotti will no doubt be cautious when it comes to risking his captain.
According to Spanish outlet AS, Benzema will be sidelined for seven to 10 days and stands a good chance of being fit in time to face Diego Simeone’s side on September 18.
Prior to coming off against Celtic, the Frenchman was the only player alongside Thibaut Courtois to have played every minute for Real Madrid this season.
Los Blancos have historically struggled in La Liga without Benzema.
Since 2018, the club’s win percentage with Benzema in the league sits at 67.8% and drops to 38.5% without him. Their goals scored each game also goes from 1.9 to 1.0 without the French striker.
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