MY ACCOUNT
Karim Benzema will have to sit out Sunday’s derby, Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti has announced.
The France international came off with a knee injury in Madrid’s Champions League win at Celtic earlier this month and has not featured since.
Ancelotti previously said Benzema could be fit for the derby with Atletico Madrid this weekend, but also noted caution at the time by saying if he did not recover, he would also not be available for the upcoming international break.
With Benzema absent from Didier Deschamps’ squad announcement for Les Bleus this week, it seemed unlikely he would feature at the Wanda Metropolitano, which Ancelotti confirmed at his press conference on Saturday, saying: “I’m not saying [who will play up front], Benzema won’t be there.
“He has started working individually and will be ready after the [international] break.”
Ancelotti also spoke about the recent controversial comments from Pedro Bravo, a senior agent in Spain, on Vinicius Junior.
Bravo appeared on television show El Chiringuito earlier this week, saying Vinicius had to stop dancing when he celebrated a goal, accusing the Brazilian of “playing the monkey”.
Bravo has apologised and said he used the wrong expression, insisting he was sorry for causing offence.
“It’s something that we don’t touch on in the locker room, these are issues that are not normally discussed in the locker room, we usually talk about football,” the Madrid boss said.
“Racism is one thing and what happens in football is another thing. We have not touched on this issue of racism because the player has responded very well.”
When asked if he had spoken to the player about it, Ancelotti said: “No, because I’m not his father, nor am I his brother. I’m his coach.
“Nothing is wrong with him. He is playing with joy. Vini is joy, happiness.”
Madrid have won all eight of their games in all competitions this season and will come up against an Atletico side who suffered a Champions League defeat at Bayer Leverkusen in midweek.
Ancelotti is not underestimating Madrid’s local rivals, though.
“It will be a competitive match. They don’t expect anything new and it will be a very competitive duel, a good football match, because there are very good players on both teams,” Ancelotti said. “The match is open, but there is nothing definitive.”
