Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti has said that there is “a chance” Karim Benzema could be available for this weekend’s Madrid derby with Atletico Madrid at Wanda Metropolitano.
The France international was missing against Mallorca in La Liga last time out due to the thigh problem that he picked up in the 3-0 win over Celtic in the Champions League last week.
Benzema will again be absent for Wednesday’s European clash with RB Leipzig, but Ancelotti has said that the centre-forward could be back for the game with Atletico.
“There’s a chance, as he is evolving well. But he’ll only play if there are no concerns at all,” the Italian told reporters during his press conference ahead of the Leipzig fixture.
Eden Hazard started at centre-forward against Mallorca, but Rodrygo is believed to be under consideration for the role through the middle against the team’s German opposition.
Ancelotti also discussed Marco Asensio, who was visibly frustrated when he was not used off the bench in the team’s last league match.
The Spain international – strongly linked with a move away from Bernabeu over the summer – has only played 17 minutes of football this season across two matches.
The 26-year-old is currently down the pecking order for the spots in the final third of the field, but Real Madrid’s head coach has insisted that the attacker is still “training well” and could be involved in the clash with Leipzig.
“Asensio has to put up with this situation right now. After getting frustrated, there are two responses, as you can either train better or you can give up. But, he has kept training well. He could play in tomorrow’s game,” said the Italian.
Ancelotti also opened up on the importance of Wednesday’s match, insisting that Leipzig have “a lot of quality”.
The Bundesliga side lost 4-1 at home to Shakhtar Donetsk in their Champions League opener last week, which led to Domenico Tedesco losing his job as head coach.
Marco Rose was appointed as Tedesco’s replacement shortly after, and the 46-year-old led his new side to a 3-0 victory over Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga on Saturday.
“It’s an important game in terms of group qualification. Leipzig have had problems at the beginning of the season, but they played very well in their last game against Dortmund. They’ve got a lot of quality and speed up front,” he added.
“They’re a dangerous side and we’ve got to play well bot in attack and defence. We’ll try to put in a good performance and win the game”.
Real Madrid have won each of their seven matches in all competitions this season, including five in La Liga, while they beat Eintracht Frankfurt 2-0 last month to secure the UEFA Super Cup.
